The Rise of the MCR
by Jayan phoenix
Summary: The Commonwealth is fractured and splintered with various forces pulling it further apart, one man seeks to pull it all together and with the support of the people build something out of the ashes of the Great War. General Alec Carter of the Commonwealth Minutemen is but one man with a dream, can he rekindle the spark of civilisation?
1. Chapter 1

Fallout 4: The Rise of the M.C.R

**Chapter One**

**The Return of the General**

The journey back to Massachusetts Bay was cold and quiet, and turbulent. Alec sat looking out over the ocean contemplating everything that had happened during his journey to Far Harbour. He was unsure how to feel about the trip and what he had been a part of and wondered if he had made the right decision.

Beyond his moral conundrum, the trip had been interesting to say the least. Far Harbour was somewhat exotic if compared to the Commonwealth, the irradiated fog that plagued the Island while being dangerous had caused numerous changes to the island's fauna and flora, most of which was intact if mutated.

The human settlement based on the harbour itself was a derelict shanty town, like much of the Commonwealth and it was something that Alec hated about the world. Everyone was so intent of surviving they didn't try to make their lives better or improve on their situation.

One of the settlements on the island that stood out was Acadia. The Synth Colony where escaped Institute synths could live free. In the Commonwealth the colony was thought to be an old legend.

Acadia was led by the DiMa, he established the colony and was responsible for the ongoing peace across the islands three factions. Although the factions had a longer and troubled history, Alec had discovered the truth behind the peace and had found himself caught up ensuring it continued.

DiMa was a good leader for the colony, he wanted what was best of all the island's population, but he had a skewed view of the world. Alec thought that DiMa's own synthetic physiology was partly to blame. Alec hadn't done what he had lightly, and he had forced DiMa to upload his memories once more, so that he would remember the price that was paid for the peace and could share the burden of the consequences.

Thinking of the Synth colony made Alec wonder if Desdemona and the Railroad were aware of the colony. He had never heard mention of the colony during his dealings with them, not even the vague whispers he had heard while travelling the Commonwealth at one time and another.

Something else that had perturbed Alec was the religion of the Children of the Atom. They were not the first sect of the religion he had encountered, he had spoken with a number of worshipers while looking for Virgil in the Glowing Sea and had been unable to understand the doctrine they had followed.

Religion had never been something that Alec had ever followed and had found it an odd concept even prior to the Great War. But this post-war religion was one of the strangest and most foreign concepts of divinity he had ever seen.

He would admit that his view on the religion had influenced his decision, their fanaticism needed to be curtailed and he wanted to ensure that the nuclear submarine they called home remained safe. The duplicate who now controlled the Children of the Atom of Far Harbour would eventually be discovered of course but for now it would keep the peace and pacify the followers of Atom.

"You have been quiet since with left Far Harbour." Nick said pulling Alec from his thoughts, as he puffed on a cigarette. "Have you decided if you will report Acadia's existence to the Institute?"

Alec looked up at Nick, his trench coat and tie were fluttering wildly in the cold breeze. Yet somehow, he managed to keep his dirty hat on his head, and his synthetic golden eyes were watching Alec carefully, unaffected by the cold weather that buffeted Alec.

"I don't think so." Alec replied, pulling his thick coursers coat tighter about himself to fend of the harsh wind that buffeted him. "They would immediately seek to reclaim the escaped Synths. Acadia is peaceful, and the synths only seek peaceful solitude. I admit I am curious to see what the colony will do. However, removing Acadia would mean the balance of power on the island would be seriously compromised."

Nick considered him for a long moment before he replied.

"With DiMa leading them I doubt the islands balance of power will shift." Nick agreed, "It was an odd experience to meet him. I have no recollection of having met him, yet I feel a bond with him."

"You suffer with the same drawback as DiMa." Alec pointed out, it was something he had tried to avoid talking about. "You're an Institute Prototype. You were never meant to operate as long as you have. Your memory banks, like DiMa's can only hold so much and eventually you must overwrite data in order to preserve newer memories."

"Like Kanji Nakano." Nick said and he sounded resigned now, "I know I am old Alec, but I've never once felt it."

Alec looked at the synth and felt sorry for him, he was a slave to his hardware even if he free of the constraints of programming.

"Nick." Alec said in an attempt to distract his friend, "What do you think would happen to Far Harbour if the existence of the Colony became common knowledge?"

"The Institute would storm the island to reclaim their property." Nick replied easily, "The Railroad would involve themselves trying to protect the Synths. The people of the Commonwealth could demand the minutemen take action or would rally themselves to wipe them out."

"And the Brotherhood?" Alec asked, "Do you think they will sit contently in the Airport knowing the Colony is to the north? They already want the Institute destroyed."

"The Brotherhood of Steel." Nick said bitterly, "If they had their way, I would be a bag of bolts. Over the years I have heard many tales of the Brotherhood, they have chapters across most of America. It might be my own prejudice, but they care only for their own betterment not for the common man. You know this Alec."

It was true. Alec had turned down three offers of sponsor to join the BOS since he had discovered their deacon team in the Cambridge Police Station. Even Elder Maxson the BOS leader had attempted to personally recruit Alec but had been politely and firmly declined. The assistance Alec had provided had been done as a private contractor, or in their eyes as a mercenary.

There had been a part of Alec that had wanted to join the Brotherhood of Steel. He felt something very familiar about their organisation, Militant as they were Alec was reminded of his own time in the US Army. However, what turned Alec away from them was their doctrine, he did not agree with several of their policies and wouldn't bend his own ideals to meet their expectations.

Of course, the same could be said of the Institute. The only difference was that his son led them, and Alec was trying to have a relationship with him while it was still possible.

Silence seemed to the constant companion of the trip back to the Commonwealth, and Alec was glad for it as he was thinking about the Commonwealth itself and its future. Nicks warning about the Brotherhood worried him, but then so did much about the Commonwealth.

When Preston had appointed him General of the Minutemen, he had no idea of the amount of work it would amount to. Secretly he had thought it a means to an end to help find his son. However, the more he travelled and the more people he met the more he stepped into the position and began to help.

Under the banner of the minutemen Alec had united the various settlements that dotted the Commonwealth. He had help secure their former headquarters as a base of operations once more and then worked to improve their resources, training and numbers.

It was for that reason that he had felt able to leave the Commonwealth to travel to Far Harbour, he felt that they were strong enough now. Although there was so much more, he wanted to do for them.

A pre war relic. That was what Piper was fond of calling him, but this relic still had much to teach this new world.

They followed the coastline for another hour before Nick docked the boat with a light bump at the Nakanos wharf. They were greeted by the family waving to them happily reunited and the parents thanked Alec and Nick for their help in finding their daughter. Kanji Nakano was so great fun that he gave them a bucketful of caps and some other odds and ends in payment.

With the Case over Alec and Nick left the Nakano's and set out on foot heading west.

The trip to Far Harbour had lasted two months and was anxious to return back to Sanctuary for it was his home and he hoped they had fared well in his absence. Once home he would be able to reach out to the Minutemen to get an update on all that he had missed, and then he could visit Shaun.

While all the settlements in the Commonwealth fell under Alecs protection as General of the Minutemen, Sanctuary was his home and it had prospered and grown under his sponsorship and guiding hand.

A great deal could have changed across the Commonwealth in the two months that he had been gone, and it niggled at Alecs mind that he should not have gone for as long as he had. Yet circumstances had forced him to stay and resolve the issues that had come to light.

Travelling on foot across country was slow and tedious, it was during times like this that Alec missed the mass transport of the world before the bombs fell. Transportation was limited to walking to everyone except the BOS who had their Vertibirds. Alec dreamed of the day when they could once again drive across country, or ride a train or even travel on horseback, if any had survived the War.

It took them three hours to cut across country, they hadn't stopped to rest at all as Alec was impatient, but they had also been careful to avoid the mutated creatures of the Commonwealth.

With the sun beginning to dip in the sky, Nick suggested they find shelter and Alec had agreed and so they decided to head for Outpost Zimonja, they would give them shelter and a hot meal and provide Alec with any updates on the state of things across the Commonwealth.

As they cut a path west, they had passed above the ravine into which was built Recon Bunker Theta, and Alec wondered if Brandis was still living there in his solitary life in exile or had he rejoined the Brotherhood.

When Preston had told him that a group of settlers wanted help establishing a settlement at the old radio relay tower, Alec had not been in favour of the decision. It offered little in natural defences, and was very exposed, but despite Alec trying to convince them otherwise the settlers had still gone ahead with their plan and the settlement was born.

Like most of the Commonwealth settlements it was a shanty-like town, but it was what passed for civilisation in the Post-War world but not to Alec had seen first-hand what a true town looked like.

It was one of the reasons that Alec had become so involved in the establishment of Sanctuary as a settlement and had its rebuilding had been carried out to his own vision, and he has personally hunted down plans and books to help do it properly.

All thoughts of a hot meal and rest however were swept from Alecs mind as Zimonja came into view, there was something different about it, and the closer they got it became all the more apparent that something was amiss in the Commonwealth.

"Nick what do you see." Alec asked looking for confirmation even as his hand gripped a pistol strapped to his leg under his thick leather trench coat.

"Zimonja." Nick said as he shielded his eyes to get a better look through the rays of the setting sun, "Looks more fortified since I last passed this way."

"Exactly." Alec frowned. "They've built up a wall around themselves, those glinting domes are turrets too I would bet. I don't like this. This is not the same settlement I remember from my previous visits. Eliza is a hard woman, but she is not a fool. She wouldn't commit to using resources like that unless there was a good reason."

"You say that, but they still went against your recommendation to build that settlement." Nick reminded him, "if things are bad here, why haven't they relocated?"

Alec didn't have an answer to that question, instead hurrying towards the settlement to investigate only to be stooped in his tracks a hundred and fifty yards away by a loud gunshot.

"You there!" Came a loud voice, Alec and Nick turned towards the voice and found themselves staring down the barrel of a laser musket held by a young man, perhaps eighteen years old. "State your business travellers."

"Stand down." Alec ordered holding up his hands as a sign of non-combatants, "My name is Alec Carter, General of the Commonwealth Minutemen."

"The General?" The man asked surprised, but he didn't lower his weapon, "The General has been gone for months, Colonel Preston Garvey is currently commanding the Minutemen."

Well that was good news Alec thought to himself, that meant that Preston was still alive at least and was following his orders and leading the minutemen, however that did not mean nothing bad could have happened.

"We have never met so you wouldn't recognise me." Alec said calmly and wished he had his Generals outfit on instead of the leather coat. "But surely you will recognise my companion? He is almost as famous as I am and one of a kind to boot?"

"Almost as famous?" Nick spluttered humorously, "I have been walking the Commonwealth longer than you Alec." He titled his head back slightly so the boy could see his patched face and glowing amber eyes and his mechanical hand glistened in the low glow of sunset.

"You're a Synth!" The man cried alarmed.

"Of course, he is." Alec said slightly alarmed and he stepped in front of Nick now, "This is Nick Valentine, Diamond City's Nick Valentine, of the Valentine Detective Agency? Surely you have heard of him."

"What of it?" The man asked, Alec suddenly realised that he was probably closer to sixteen. A boy in truth but the Commonwealth made an adult of most children while they were young.

"Alaric!" Came a loud grumbling voice "You better not be threatening squirrels again!"

"No Ma'am." The boy said quickly and blushing, "travellers came down from the north."

A tall well built, sun-kissed woman came up behind the boy and looked them both over and shook her head with a light smirk of amusement.

"Well I can't say you didn't do the right thing in challenging them boy." She said as she pushed down the barrel of his weapon much to his surprise, "But you are actually threatening the General of the Minutemen. Shooting your commander will not go down well, now stop fretting and resume your patrol."

The boy looked shocked now and mumbled a quick apology and scarpered.

Alec looked over the newcomer and saw the lines on her face, she had aged since he had last seen her, but she looked healthy enough.

"Eliza." Alec said in greeting, "That was an unexpected welcome, you have tightened your defences since I left."

Eliza frowned but nodded, "We had to. By order of Colonel Garvey after what happened down at the Warwicks, and the mess down south. We burnt through a lot of our resources to do it, but Sanctuary Hills leant us some aid, Marcy tried to stop that but Sturges was able to swing it."

"What do you mean after what happened at the Warwicks? What's happening in the south?" Alec asked, ignoring the comment about Marcy, that woman had caused him too many headaches in the past.

"Well you would know if you hadn't done a bunk and left the Commonwealth to god knows where." She said sternly, but pointed at his Pipboy, "You should check the radio on that, its all over the radio."

"I hadn't thought to listen." Alec said lamely and felt stupid for not thinking of tuning in to the Commonwealths radio stations for any type of news. The reception on Far Harbour was poor so he had fallen out of the habit of tuning in. "Tell me Eliza what has happened since I have been gone from the Commonwealth." He commanded.

"The Brotherhood of Steel." She said spitting out the name like it was a curse, "That is what happened. For all of their talk about freeing us from the fear of synths and helping tame the commonwealth from feral ghouls and super mutants they have shown their true colours now."

Alec exchanged a look with Nick at her words, so their worries were not for nought.

"They began to demand tributes and payment from various settlements in exchange for their apparent protection and deeds on behalf of the people of the commonwealth. They were refused, since we support our minutemen and they serve to protect us." She continued and Alec felt a small feeling of accomplishment wash over him at the faith the people put in his reformed minutemen.

"So the Brotherhood began to bully, extort, and outright steal food and resources from settlements and take it back to their airship. One of the settlements they tried to work over was the Warwick Homestead, Roger refused to deal with them, and the settlement fought back."

"Was anyone killed?" Alec asked horrified and he couldn't believe how far the Brotherhood had overstepped, extorting people for resources was bad enough but killing the people of the commonwealth was an atrocity.

"No, but they couldn't stand up the Brotherhoods soldiers. When the Minutemen reinforcements arrived, they found the Homesteads fields ablaze and its people taking shelter with the Atom Cats who came to help them." She explained as they walked towards Zimonja, "The Brotherhood also went for your project on Spectral Island. They claimed all of the resources stockpiled there too and left the people stranded without supplies."

"Where were the minutemen?" Alec demanded, "Why was there no response?"

"It happened too quickly for a patrol to get to them. This all happened within a small window, they used their aircrafts to do this all simultaneously." She explained, "For now, the Brotherhood is keeping to itself again, in the meantime Colonel Garvey gave the order to each of the settlements under his protection to begin fortifying."

Alec growled with frustration and punched a tree, it stung but he barely noticed it.

"Why." He managed to ask.

"No one knows. Most think they did this because you were absent and they were taking advantage of the situation." She told him pointedly, "Without you here to lead them the Minutemen lacked the strength and conviction we have grown accustomed to, you are the deterrent to the BOS, or at least that's what the consensus is among the people."

"You will get better answers if you high tail it to Sanctuary Hills, they will know more than I do. Most of the more seasoned and experienced minutemen have been sent south leaving us with boys too green and men too old to do much more than intimidate squirrels."

Nick gave Alec a look, "We should go, your needed Alec. It should be safe enough to travel to Sanctuary in the dark."

"Agreed." Alec sighed, he was tired but if what Eliza said was true they had to reach Sanctuary.

"Do you need provisions General?" Eliza asked drawing herself up proudly, "Zimonja doesn't have much to spare at the moment as the supply lines you created have broken down due to everything happening in the south, but we can at least offer you a meal and water?"

A small smile of thanks was all Alec could manage; he was too focused on processing everything he had just learnt. "Thank you but no. You need all the resources that you have here and I what little you might have that is spare. I will deal with the Brotherhood, but should you get into any trouble remember that Tenpines Bluff is only over the ridge and the two of you must help each other. Failing that should you need to safe harbour head straight for Sanctuary Hills."

Eliza nodded but her jaw was set, and Alec knew what she was going to say before she opened her mouth.

"Thank you, but no. This here is our home we will defend it until our last."

"You have children here." Nick protested in a last-ditch effort to appeal to the woman, "You can condemn yourselves to die but save your children."

Eliza didn't say anything more and went inside the main building as they both turned around and began a fast-paced hike out of Zimonja and back into the hills that would lead to Sanctuary.

As they set off, they didn't speak as Alec began to fiddle with his PipBoy and tuning in to Diamond City Radio and Radio Freedom to get as much current news as he could.

**O-FALLOUT-O**

Sanctuary Hills swarmed with activity from what Alec could see from an overlook as he began to make his way down towards the water's edge that would lead him round to the bridge. The island was patrolled by groups of heavily armed sentries patrolling along the reinforced and expanded stone walls.

Their farmland and small cattle stock were still being tended to from what he could see and it looked like they would have a good harvest for their stores too. The small community was still under construction, several additional houses looked to have been pulled down and the start of new brick houses look to have been begun being built.

However, those construction crews were now working on the walls, expanding them or installing new artillery battlements.

Nick whistled observing it all, "They have been very busy here too. It makes quite a statement you know. Sturges did as you asked, Sanctuary Hills doesn't look anything like the rest of the Commonwealths settlements."

"No." Alec said between breaths as he increased his pace eager to get at the information Sanctuary would posses. "I am nostalgic for how things once were, but I also do not want people to live in squalor. However, this will be a heavily fortified town once complete which is very different from any prewar towns I visited, in a way its actually a modern twist of medieval townships."

Nick managed a snort in response.

They sentry post on the road noticed them and came on them however once they saw Alec and Nick they were shocked but very happy to see them.

"General!" Said their young leader, "We are so please to see you! You need to reach out to the castle sir, they need you!"

"At ease." Alec said sternly, "Where is Sturges?"

"Should be overseeing the construction of one of the larger laser batteries." The minuteman said, "We hope to be able to defend Sanctuary from Vertibirds."

Alec nodded and they quickly made their way over the repaired wooden bridge and passed the checkpoint and gate on the Sanctuary Hills side and went in search of Sturges and eventually found him tinkering with a large gun placement.

"Sturges!" Alec said surprised, "I didn't know you were so skilled at weapon design!"

"Alec?" Sturges questioned as he turned around in shock and was open mouthed staring at him for a long moment before he pulled himself together. "Well I cannibalised it together from a Gatling laser and fabricated what I needed. I cannot promise it will do much more than drain our generators of power."

Alec inspected it closely and nodded, "It is a good starting point for aerial defence, if this can be tested and refined further this could be used as a viable and strong defence! Good work Sturges."

Sturges smiled abashed, "thanks Boss, you cannot know how glad I am to see you here, and back in the commonwealth!"

"I have an idea why." Alec said returning to the matter at hand, "Eliza told me that the Brotherhood of Steel has attacked our settlements and raided the Commonwealth and from what I could tell from the radio all of this has been contained to the south? So, no trouble up here?"

Sturges looked around the weapon platform and noticed that they were attracting a lot of attention so took Alec by the arm and led him away towards the main street.

"No Brotherhood activity, not even a sighting of a Vertibird this side of the Charles River. According to Radio Freedom any time a Vertibird leaves their airport they fly out into the Bay and then head south, they are out of reach of the castles artillery." Sturges told him quietly, "Preston called the minutemen south and they are marching and patrolling as a show of strength ready to defend at a moment's notice, but there isn't much they can really do against the Brotherhoods airpower or their armoured infantry."

It was a horrible truth, despite Alecs best efforts the Minutemen were just barely organised and equipped to handle Ghouls or Super Mutants, but the well-oiled war engine that was the Brotherhood of Steel was beyond them. They still needed more infrastructure, numbers, training, discipline and resources to make them a true fighting force to take on the Brotherhood.

It didn't surprise Alec at all to hear Sturges say it, he was good friends with Preston and had been with him since Quincy and had seen the fall of the original Minutemen

"I know." Alec admitted, "Event with the minutemen presence bolstered to the south, in reality it is no better protected than Sanctuary Hills is right now."

Sturges laughed "Well that is debatable, I would say that as of twenty minutes ago this became the safest place. We have the General of the Minutemen, the Sole Survivor of Vault 111, the Pre-War Soldier who has taken on the Commonwealth."

Alec snorted and waved him off as being ridiculous.

"He isn't entirely wrong Alec." Nick said, "Your presence alone could give them pause, they know what you can do if pushed."

"I am but one man." Alec said sternly, "they are an entire army, one man cannot take on an army."

"You're not staying long, are you?" Sturges said quickly cutting through the small amount of tension.

"No." Alec said immediately. "I will be gone within an hour, I am needed at the castle, this has gone on long enough and demands my immediately attention."

"Of course." Sturges said and he looked at Nick, "Will you be going with Alec or you staying here, Mr Valentine?"

"If you want to stay you can use the house." Alec offered. His old house still stood and was patched up and liveable if depressing. Nick didn't even need sleep, so Alec wasn't sure what his friend would do but he was sure Codsworth would be glad of the company.

"I will for a few days if that's okay?" Nick said, I can help out here in the meantime, I was a decent handyman after all before I set up the agency. But I should get back to Diamond City, I don't like to leave Ellie alone for so long, she moves all my files."

Sturges nodded and went to leave but stopped and frowned, "Be careful out there Alec, we cannot afford to lose you, the Commonwealth needs you too much."

Alec went home and said hello to Codsworth and Dogmeat before going inside Shaun's old room which was now his office and unpacked the contents of his large dufflebag and pack. He had picked up a lot in Far Harbour and he would need to sort through it all later.

Instead he pulled out his military uniform, armour and other assorted belongings and wondered what else he should take that he couldn't acquire later if needed.

Once packed he shouldered his bag and left Sanctuary Hills without further conversation and once he was over the bridge he headed south-west and once he was sure he was alone and no one could see him he activated a setting on his Pipboy activating a beacon

It took five minutes, but suddenly white and blue lightning crackled around him and then the Wasteland was gone.

**O-FALLOUT-O**

The light began to dissipate, and Alec blinked furiously to remove the blur from his eyes.

"Father." Said the calm stoic voice of Shaun who stood waiting.

"Shaun." Alec said smiling at his elder son, "Sorry I was gone longer that I thought I would be."

"Do not worry father, I understand that you have a responsibility to those on the surface, just as I have a responsibility to those in the Institute." Shaun said nodding in understanding, "Soon those will be one in the same."

Alec looked at Shaun and thought he looked older, older than he had ever looked and tired.

"How are you Shaun?" Alec asked worried now, "You seem…."

"Old? Frail? Weak?" Shaun said when Alec failed to find the word, "Those are all accurate. I have time, but precious little."

"I am sorry…." Alec said sadly.

"Don't be." Shaun breathed, beckoning him to follow and Alec did. "I was already dying the day I pressed the button to release you from your cryo stasis. This day has been long in coming."

"I shouldn't have gone, I should be here with you." Alec countered, "too much time was stolen from us."

They entered the elevator and began to descend into the Institute, Alec drew looks due to his clothing but, but he barely paid them any attention.

"No, you were right to go. I should have woken you years ago." Shaun admitted regretfully, before getting serious, "You came here because of the Brotherhood of Steel and their actions to the south?"

"Yes." Alec admitted, "I will deal with this myself. The Brotherhood has gone too far. I will speak to Maxson directly, but I will need a contingency plan should any dialogue fail."

"A wise strategy." Shaun agreed, "All of the Institutes resources are at your disposal. Dr Ayo has been working on our own plans to deal with the Brotherhood. They have been searching for the Institute for years and they would destroy us if given the chance."

They stepped into the second elevator which led to Shaun's quarters and he stumbled but Alec caught him.

"You shouldn't be out of bed." Alec scolded as he scooped him up and was shocked by how light Shaun was. "I imagine you met me against medical advice?"

Shaun laughed, "it wasn't against medical advice as I did not tell my doctor that I was going to meet you."

Alec joined the laughter "You know your mother would have scolded you far worse than I, but she would then have scolded me as she would say your actions were my influence."

His words caused Shaun to smile fondly before it turned into a deep frown.

"I wish I had known her." Shaun said sadly, "From what records remain she was a remarkable woman."

"She was." Alec said quietly, "it could as easily have been me who died and she who lived, it was only bad luck that it was I who was not holding you when we entered Vault 111."

Alec gently placed Shaun on his medical bed, and he placed the beds monitors back on to him.

"You should speak first to Dr Li. She has led the development of many of our safeguards and weapons to use against the Brotherhood of Steel since we learnt of their first Recon teams entering the Commonwealth. "We have also…" Shaun said, and his eyes dropped low and he looked like he was fast asleep. "Be careful…"

"I will." Alec said, the lie bitter on his tongue and he watched as Shaun fell to sleep.

Once he was sure that Shaun was asleep, he left the room and made his way to the Advanced Science's and met with Dr Li who didn't look at all surprised to see him and led him to one of the lab rooms.

"We developed this weapon following your retaking of Fort Independence." She told him, "We just had to redesign the original weapons to be used by the Artillery you have there. I have been told your people can use them to great effect so I am sure they will have no issues with these, its just a change in ammunition after all."

"I should think so." Alec said looking at the contents of the large crates with interest, he asked a number of questions about them and once he was happy, they were taken away to the relay room by several synth units. "Have them transported into the tunnels under the castle, no one uses them."

He normally would have had it beamed to his office but given that he was away he couldn't be sure that it would be empty.

"Your department did well with them." Alec complimented.

"We are not finished." She told him and led him away. "You are aware that the Brotherhood of Steel utilises power armour for their troops. We have been developing our own to combat theirs."

"So, is that why you wanted me to acquire and deliver the armour from Nuka World?" Alec asked, he had delivered that to them almost a year prior and had not seen it since or got an explanation.

"Partly." She explained, "I have recycled some of its parts for our development, however what I really wanted was to study its shielding properties. I should warn you that this power armour is still a prototype and we are still developing some of its systems. We have the resources freed up by the reactor project being complete. However, you will see that we have improved on the design significantly, I am sure you will agree."

Pressing a button, a portion of the wall that had blended seamlessly with the rest of the room retracted, revealing an alcove with a suit of power armour docked waiting.

The armour looked sleeker and more refined than any model Alec had ever discovered across the Commonwealth, and it was clearly of Institute design. Dr Li began a quick explanation of its numerous features, and Alec was surprised to realise that the US Military designs was finally obsolete.

"You will need to return this to me." Dr Li warned, "We have spent months on this project and I will not start this from scratch."

"Don't worry Dr Li." Alec smiled, "I think it's in both our interests that this armour development is completed."

A plan started to form in Alecs mind, and he wondered whether Maxson would force him to act or whether he would end his extortion of the Commonwealth and resume their previous arrangement of ignoring each other and doing nothing to anger the other.

Either way it would end by the days end.

**O-FALLOUT-O**

The Castle loomed in the distance as Alec walked purposely towards it, dressed in military fatigues and boots, his weapon belts strapped round his waist and his generals coat over them all with a new armoured chest piece curtesy of the Institute freshly painted with the Minutemen livery.

A patrol had been marching out from the Castle most probably heading towards a southern settlement to protect, but when they saw a lone man walking towards the Castle they hurried forward only stop and regard him with shock.

Alec did not stop but merely nodded at them and walked past them, he was their General and outranked them all.

The castles only entrance was guarded by two sentries within restored T45 Power Armour in the Minutemen colours.

"General!" The sentries said in shock and standing to attention, "Open the Doors!" They shouted.

The doors opened and he saw the inside of his Command Centre for the first time in months, the repairs to the main walls had all been completed and the fort was whole once more. Alec saw signs that work was still ongoing, but from the outside it looked much better and respectable.

"The General has returned!" Came the whispers and shouts from those stationed within the fort.

"It's about time you returned from your jaunt to the north." Said the deep voice of Ronnie Shaw, "You look good General, but I know that look. You're here to fight."

"I am." Alec nodded, he saw Preston exit one of the doors and saw his surprise. "I notice that you have a lot more gear than before I left."

"We received a shipment of supplies from your Sanctuary Hills, your man Sturges worked wonders on the weapons and armour but we reached out to the Atom Cats who worked up the paint job." She reported, "Our supply network is hit and miss of late given the commotion, but we should be fine for now depending on what you want to do. As always there is still work to be done."

"One thing at a time." Alec told her, "Colonel Garvey" he said once Preston reached him and saluted, "I see you have kept the Minutemen together while I was helping people to the north."

"I did as you ordered General, but we are outgunned by the Brotherhood, we do not have the resources to match them." Preston reported bitterly, "I failed you, Spectral Island and the Warwick Homestead are gone because of my failure. Just like Quincy."

Alec gave him a consoling look.

"This is not like Quincy." Alec said sternly, "This attack, the Minutemen failure to protect the south is on me, I am the General I will take the responsibility. However, you are not wrong about us lacking the resources, training and assets that they have."

"So, do you have a plan?" Preston asked, "You're here to resolve this incident, aren't you?"

"Yes." Alec nodded, "Shaw, if you go down into the old tunnels where we found my coat you will find several large crates. I want their contents to be split between the artillery positions, and I want them all targeting the space around the Airport."

"You mean to attack them?" She questioned slightly wide eyed.

"Only if I have no choice." Alec told her, "I want your best gunners manning those guns."

She readily agreed and sped off towards his office.

"Where did those crates come from?" Preston asked, he had been down to the tunnels as they wanted to expand the subterranean parts of the castle to act as a command centre with offices and rooms beyond what the old colonial fort walls had room for.

"The Institute." Alec admitted, "Now If you will excuse me Preston, I need to place a call." He began to walk towards the radio shack but stopped, "If I fail today, you will become the General of the Minutemen, do not fail me Preston."

Preston went wide eyed, he had after all passed up position when he gave it to Alec, but he was being given an order now.

"Of course." He nodded reluctantly.

Tapping the radio operator on the shoulder, Alec took control of the Castle radio and picked up the microphone and had the operator open all channels.

"This is General Alec Carter of the Commonwealth Minutemen, I wish to enter into negotiations with the Brotherhood of Steel on their ongoing operations within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts." He spoke clearly he wanted everyone across the Commonwealth to hear this, to know he had returned and was taking on the Brotherhood. "Elder Maxson, I will speak only to you, present yourself to answer for your Brotherhoods actions."

There was silence over the airwaves, and the surrounding Minutemen looked around as if at any second the castle would explode into action.

Then came the crackle and the stern voice of the leader of the Brotherhood.

"General." Maxson said his surprise evident in his tone, "I was not aware that you had returned from your jaunt to lands afar. I feared you might have met your end while those you vowed to lead and protect were left to suffer from the fiends that walk this land. The Brotherhood had to step in while you were gone."

"Then I should like to thank you for your intervention, however we must discuss your position here. Your actions of late have painted you as foreign invaders who only wish to pilfer the resources of the people and reap the technological wealth of the Commonwealth and expand your brotherhoods reach." Alec countered ignoring the jibe, he would not lose his temper today, "I am sure the reports I have been given are due to a misunderstanding, and it is my wish to put aside these ill feelings so we can work in collaboration and have peace across the Commonwealth."

Silence came again, and Alec knew that Maxson was considering how to respond. This was why Alec had called him out so publicly he would have no choice but to respond.

"I agree to your parlay." Maxson said eventually if very reluctantly, "You will be welcomed aboard the Prydwen as our guest and awarded the respect given to all who come under the banner of peace."

Alec smirked, that was exactly what he had wanted.

"Agreed." Alec agreed after a false pause to pretend he was trying to wiggle out of it.

"I have dispatched a Vertibird. I will see you on deck soon General."

Turning around Alec saw that the Minutemen were all looking confused.

"Do not worry." He said smiling, "I expected this and planned for this. Just remember when you get the signal you are to act immediately."

"General." Ronnie Shaw asked as she watched him take off his bag and unholster his weapons and place them on the table, "What are you doing, you cannot go unarmed, that is suicide."

'No it isn't." Alec explained, "They will not let me proceed into negotiations within the airship with any weapons, they would be confiscated the moment I stepped aboard. I am taking a stance of strength and will not have them look to see me weakened by taking away my weapons."

Ronnie gasped, "Do you really mean to meet with an entire garrison of armoured soldiers with nothing more than that chest plate? You cannot mean to do that surely!"

"This is all for show." Alec told her, he pointed at his uniform, "This coat is only a symbol of my position, however fear not if I am not without a means of protecting myself. Trust me, things will be fine. Now when you get the signal you are to fire the artillery, but only on the signal."

"What is the signal?" Shaw asked, "Your being deliberately vague general!"

"You will know it when you see it." Alec smirked, "If things go as I believe they will, the Brotherhood will no longer have a foothold within the Commonwealth."

Above them the easily recognisable noise of the twin propellers of a Vertibird flew towards the Castle. Alec made his way to the top of the Castle and waited for it to descend and the side door opened when it's as level with him and he jumped inside.

"Please be seated General." Said the pilot.

They began to ascend then and Alec watched as the Castle began to get lower beneath them and noticed that every single turret lining the fort was tracking the Vertibird.

The pilot was the epitome of discipline and decorum, despite the tension between the Brotherhood and the Minutemen did not seem to notice the turrets tracking him or that he was carrying the leader of the opposition, instead concentrated on flying them to the airship in the distance.

Soon enough they were docked on the Prydwen and Alec jumped down onto the metal deck to be met by four guards who stood in front of Maxson in full armour.

"Before you proceed you will relinquish any weapons." Said one of the Paladins.

"I brought no weapons." Alec countered, "this is a peaceful discussion after all, I am here to negotiate in all good faith."

"You will be searched for concealed weapons all the same." Maxson ordered, "This is not a slight against you General Carter, but we must protect ourselves from treachery, this is protocol which I am sure you will understand."

Getting a nod of agreement from Alec, Maxson gestured for two scribes to come forward and check Alec over for any weapons he might have on his person. They found nothing as Alec had said, and the shook their heads.

"Very good, come inside General so we might come to an agreement." Maxson said as his guards parted and allowed Alec to move forwards and they walked into the heart of the Brotherhood of Steel.

**O-FALLOUT-O**

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**O-FALLOUT-O**

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**O-FALLOUT-O**

Background to this story:

I decided to start this story before here for several reasons, one of the most important was that I struggled to write it from the very beginning of Fallout 4, the game is massive and would take me years to write. Not only that i have played that game for hundreds of hours I know that story and know the story that I want to tell and this is where it will really begin.

So no there is **NO ****PREQUEL.**

I know you might have a lot of questions about various aspects of what led up to this point in time and I have given some of that history below.

However if you do have questions just ask!

I write this story for fun really, the Heritage series is my serious work and this is just something that has been rattling around my mind for years and i finally decided to publish my thoughts about the future of the Commonwealth according to my game play through and what my imagination can think up!

Relations with the game's main factions:

**Minutemen:** The path Alec took with the Minutemen is follows the same path as you see in the game, they are the first faction he encounters, and he is given the position as General by Preston. Under Alecs command they rebuild and consolidate, gaining a reputation and prestige but all in the name of protecting the people.

The additional settlements that begin to be built are all protected by the Minutemen, there have been some losses to Raiders and Super mutants, but they have done a lot of good and have the respect and support of the people.

**BOS:** Alec first encountered the Brotherhood in Cambridge but never agreed to join up, instead acted as a private contractor or mercenary for several missions.

Paladin Danse tried several times to recruit Alec but couldn't find a way to get him to commit. When the Prydwen turned up in Boston Alec even met Elder Maxson but declined his offer personally.

The Brotherhood is very much aware of Alecs Prowess on the battlefield, he was assessed by Paladin Danse, they know he is the guiding hand and power behind the Minutemen.

**Railroad:** Alec did not seek out the Railroad because of his belief in their mission, he needed their help to find Shaun and so was forced to work with them for a time. Desdemona was fully aware of his intentions but thought he might be a great asset for the Railroad and so Alec began one of their agents codenamed: Professor.

Much like with the Brotherhood, Alec was given a number of missions to assist their movement but used them to learn a great deal about Synths and the Institute and the complex issues surrounding them both.

After finding the Institute and finding Shaun, Alec cut ties with the group not wanting to prejudice his relationship with his son. The Institute was aware of his familiarity with the organisation, but he kept many of their secrets to himself not wanting to expose them to the SRB.

The Railroad kept away from him, aware that the Institute would most likely be watching and any interaction would jeopardise their operations.

**Silver Shroud:** While Alec was able to do a lot of good as the General of the Minutemen, there was some work that needed a more subtle hand, a way of him covertly intervening without drawing attention to him.

The Silver Shroud was a way for Alec to strike at the criminals of Goodneighbour without upsetting the peace or exposing himself to reprisals. Mostly Alec has used the Shroud as a way of dealing with Triggermen and Gunners, removing chem-pushers, whore mongers, assassins, and such.

Only two people know his identity, Kent Connolly and John Hancock.

**The Settlements of the Commonwealth:**Alec has over the years under the guise of General of the Minutemen established several new settlements across the Commonwealth, providing resources and finance to begin to try and help people build better lives and increase commerce and establish a stable production chain.

One of the most ambitious projects Alec begun was the settlement of Spectral Island. He worked up a trade deal with Bunker Hill and several other settlements to acquire and purchase the resources needed to make a permanent settlement.

**Vault 88:** Unlike in the game, My Vault 88 was actually fully constructed prior to the Great War. The Vault door was open when the bombs fell because of the visitors, the automated systems kicked in a sealed off the vault but not before a wave of radiation entered the entrance and Atrium. The shockwave of the blast caused a structural weakness in the corridor to Atrium to collapse, which in turn caused a power surge which caused a full security lockdown sealing Barstow and the others inside to become ghouls.

When the Raiders discover the vault door and try to break in the automated distress beacon activates which is what brought Alec to Vault 88. He is able to open the Vault and eventually rescues Barstow and they begin to work together.

Alec however quickly supplants her as Overseer after becoming aware of her intentions to continue the Vault-Tec mission of experimenting on residents. As Overseer Alec instead makes the Vault focus on innovations and development of projects that would improve the lives of Vault Dwellers.

He managed to keep Barstow within Vault 88 but making her the Vault 88 Administrator, she would oversee the day to day running of the vault which enabled Alec to continue his operation above ground but enabled him to keep an eye on her.

Vault 88 is a secure location but still needs a lot of work to make it fully operational, only Barstow and Clem are its permanent residents.

**Nuka World:** The Minutemen became aware of the reports of a Raider Stronghold to the west, and they needed to investigate the reports. Unable to spare anyone, Alec took the scouting mission himself and was shocked by what he found.

Returning back to the Castle, Alec mustered up a strong compliment of the Minutemen and returned to storm Nuka World and drove the Raiders out. Janet McKenzie became the mayor of Nuka Town and began rebuilding it as a trading hub for the Commonwealth and established a link with Bunker Hill.

The Minutemen established their presence within the town and maintained its security with ongoing projects to begin to try and open the other parks but first they would require a great deal of cleaning and maintenance.

**Far Harbour:** The mission to Far Harbour was not one that Alec enjoyed because of he came embroiled with the islands politics before he realised and had to make decisions that would affect the future of a lot of people that he would doubted he would ever see again.

On discovering what DiMa had done to ensure peace on the island, Alec found that he didn't want to undo it or make a shift in the islands three factions.

He replaced High Confessor Tektus with a synth, hoping to temper their fanaticism but also ensured they didn't have access to the nuclear stockpile and covertly fixed the radiation scrubbers to their home.

For the people of Far Harbour, he decided to not out Captain Avery as a synth but told DiMa a time would come when she would need to disappear. She didn't age and people would begin to notice. And finally, for the people of Acadia, Alec forced Dima to restore his memories of what he had done and the price of peace, he would always remember that costs and he hoped the odd synth would learn from it.

**Automatons:** The swarms of robots that threatened the Commonwealth was one that fell to the Minutemen to defend against. In an effort to stop the tide of robots, Alec investigated and eventually found Ada and together was able to trace them to the Mechanist.

When the Mechanist was defeated, Alec spared her life and let her stay in her lair but insisted she begin to recall all of her creations and work on dismantling them. Her idea was noble but flawed by her use of Robobrains, she could better help the Commonwealth by removing the robots and stopping their attacks.


	2. Chapter 2

Fallout 4: The Rise of the M.C.R

**Chapter Two**

**Parlay**

Alec was led into the Prydwen and eventually they arrived in the observation deck, it was dressed in the full regalia of the Brotherhood of Steel, the sofas were empty however and a large table and several chairs had been added.

It wasn't a very strategic location to have a meeting and Alec was all too aware of the two guards standing outside the room with their gleaming power armour and miniguns.

Instead of waiting for an invitation Alec walked into the room and looked out of the grubby windows at the ruined city of Boston. As always memories of the pre-war skyline overlapped what he could see now, but now Alec looked to the future, what could this city look like in the future?

"Shall we sit down." Maxson said gesturing to the table, he looked annoyed that Alec had taken the opposite side of the table.

"Of course." Alec replied and he sat down at the head of the table looking into the interior of the Prydwen. "Are we to have company?"

"I have asked a scribe to join us." Maxson said and a few moments later a scribe came inside and set out a typewriter and other materials and took an expectant seat between the two of them. "I believe that this meeting should be recorded for the sake of prosperity."

"Sure." Alec agreed unsurprised that Maxson wanted this exchange documented, no doubt so it could be used against him should things not go well.

They sat observing each other for a long time, both were aware of what each other was capable of. Alec respected the man, Arthur Maxson was a charismatic leader and had done a great deal to unify the Brotherhood over the years and was a formidable soldier.

"You have been gone for quite some time General." Maxson said opening the dialogue between them both. "Your minutemen were tight lipped on the subject. Where have you been?"

"North." Alec said simply, "I was helping a friend find a missing person."

"The Brotherhood has no presence north of Massachusetts, in time our hope is to establish our presence across to entire east coast." Maxson said with interest, "Did you find who you were looking for?"

"I did." Alec said, "It was an interesting experience, I haven't had the opportunity previously to experience the world outside the Commonwealth. Unlike yourself who comes from the Capital Wasteland."

"It is all much the same." Maxson said dismissively, "America is a ruin, dotted with small and fractured societies. We the Brotherhood will help establish a new way of the world, perhaps in time we could unite America."

"A worthwhile dream." Alec said nodding, "However it is how that world is built that concerns me."

Maxson regarded him carefully, no doubt trying to decide how best to handle the situation and how much he should admit.

"You no doubt have heard the reports of my soldiers' actions to the south." Maxson stated, "I will assure you now General that all involved have been punished and their ranks stripped from them."

"Do you believe that is enough Elder?" Alec asked pointedly, "Your soldiers razed the Warwicks farm to the ground, one of our most prosperous farms I should add. Your soldiers stole their produce and burnt that farm and I do not doubt would have killed the settlers there had the Atom Cats not intervened."

"It was a high stress situation, those settlers attacked my soldiers and they protected themselves." Maxson refuted, "I grant you that they went too far but they would not have killed them, we cannot allow disobedience."

"Disobedience?" Alec spluttered, "Those people are not your citizens, they are not yours to control Elder! The demotion notwithstanding, what other reparations do you have in mind? You have not only destroyed their livelihood but ransacked their home."

Maxson regarded Alec mutely, obviously he was not going to go further on the topic.

"What about Spectral Island?" Alec asked, "Your soldiers have pilfered all of the materials and resources that were being stockpiled there. Those resources were not yours to take, they belonged to the Minutemen and the people of the Commonwealth."

"We were unaware of the claim on those resources." Maxson stated, "They were unprotected and unattended, we claimed them as legitimate salvage."

"That is bull and you know it." Alec snapped getting annoyed, it was clear that Maxson wouldn't deviate from his own agenda, "The brotherhoods policies of stripping the Commonwealth of anything of value ends today. You have no right to anything you have stolen from the people."

"And what right do you have to make that judgement General?" Maxson asked directly, "You are allied to several settlements across the Commonwealth, but you do not control everything within its borders."

"Not yet." Alec said darkly.

"The Brotherhood is here in response to the Synth epidemic that plagues the Commonwealth." Maxson stated, "you have been unable to deal with this and given your known friendship with that walking abomination I wonder if perhaps you are not in league with the Institute."

His accusation caught Alec up short, of course he was in fact in league with the Institute and had helped them acquire the core for their new reactor, something that the Brotherhood had also sought out.

"Nick Valentine?" Alec said in way of a deflection, "surely you do not believe him to be dangerous? Come on Elder Maxson, Nick has been operating within the Commonwealth for decades, he doesn't hide what he is."

"Perhaps not." Maxson said, "However it is a product of the Institute, who like those scientists before the war are playing god with our world. They have gone too far."

"I will agree with you that the Institute went too far with its Synth program." Alec said, "The Generation 3 Synths program while a feat of human ingenuity has been abused by them. Replacing citizens of the Commonwealth is abhorrent, that policy must come to an end so that the Commonwealth might prosper without fear."

Maxson watched him carefully before he replied, "You want to help the Commonwealth and its people prosper, that is what I want General. You are a good soldier and a leader of your minutemen, you could do well within the Brotherhood, you have the potential to become a sentinel in time. Why is it you have always refused to join us, together we could do so much."

Alec wondered how best to answer the question, the truth was he believed the Brotherhood was in a way too rigid for his tastes, they saw only in black and white whereas Alec had come to respect things in the grey.

"On the surface many of our goals and ambitions might be the same, however we approach things differently. It is true that I seek to help usher in a new age for the Commonwealth, I want it to rise from the ashes of the great war and be the stronger for it. I want the people to live free and without fear, I want education, healthcare and work for all, to bring back common law and order and so much more."

"You see the Institute as a cancer, which you believe must be removed, root and stem. I see the Institute as a means of helping the Commonwealth recover. Their technology could be the key to a future for all. The Synths you would eradicate as abominations, I see their potential as tools to rebuild this city. Despite your best intentions, you only do what is good for the Brotherhood, helping people for you is a means to and end as they will then be indebted and will help support your operations."

Maxson frowned deeply at his words but his face betrayed nothing, but Alec thought he looked tense, like a trap about to spring.

"You cannot believe that you can unite the Commonwealth with the Institute still operating hidden in the shadows and with the fear of Synths ripping families apart." Maxson stated, "surely you are not that naïve. Your minutemen have prospered under your leadership, but they are not yet capable of taking on much in the way of a military campaign."

"I don't need to use military force to bring the Institute to heel." Alec stated simply. "That is again where we differ, I know how to unify all the Commonwealth without losing any assets, you could perhaps do it, but you would lose the biggest asset in the process.

"Why did you come here General, we undoubtedly cannot come to an understanding." Maxson said disapprovingly, "your attitude to the Institute greatly alarms me, and I wonder what your people would say if they knew."

"On the contrary, I hoped we could reach an agreement Elder Maxson." Alec said sternly, "They would have questions, and I would answer them. If I am to unite the Commonwealth, that also means the Institute, once they are in the open and under control the fear they have fanned will dispel."

The scribe between them was typing furiously trying to keep up with their exchange.

"Leave us." Maxson ordered the scribe in a low voice.

"Sir?" The scribe said looked shocked but one look at the Elder had him scurrying from the room, typewriter in hand.

Maxson looked furious now and he smacked the table with his hand. "The Institute is a threat to all! You must see that! They replaced one of my best Paladins with one of their machines!"

"Who did they replace?" Alec asked caught off guard by that, "And how can you be so sure about that?"

"We acquired the information from a captured Institute courser, it was observing the airport and from it we discovered the identity of a Synth within our own ranks." Maxson said darkly and he looked at Alec suspiciously, "Did you know it was a Synth?"

"Who?" Alec asked surprised.

"Paladin Danse." Maxson said, "It did try to sponsor your admission to our ranks several times, and it was by its recommendation that you were brought in as a mercenary."

It was a surprise to hear that Danse was a Synth, but then it did make sense in a way. Strategically, the Institute would want to infiltrate the Brotherhood for intel and to monitor them. However, it also meant they had killed the original Danse. He would need to speak to Shaun and Dr Ayo about this policy.

Alec stared down the Elder now as wondered where Danse the Synth was now, "No Maxson I was unaware of Danse being a synthetic being. Where is he now? I assume you have already terminated him in line with your prejudices?"

The Elder was obviously disappointed by his reaction.

"We confronted it and it managed to escape, jumped straight off the forecastle to do it. He fled on foot and we lost him in the city." Maxson said simply, "We will find it eventually, and when we do, we will get to the bottom of its infiltration of our Brotherhood. We must learn what it has told the Institute and perhaps learn the Institutes location."

"Danse was a friend, even if he was a synth. Your prejudice will be your downfall." Alec said sternly.

Time to bring this meeting to and end Alec thought to himself now, looking at Maxson, he realised that he couldn't persuade him of anything and if the Brotherhood remained things wouldn't change, they would probably only become worse.

"Elder Maxson." Alec said with every ounce of authority he could muster. "It is time for the Brotherhood of Steel to return to the Capital Wastes. Your occupation of the Commonwealth is unwelcome, and we cordially request that you depart from our borders. Should you remain you we will have no choice but to forcibly expel you."

"I think not." Maxson said sadly and looked resigned, "You do not have the power to expel my forces. You should have joined us Alec, now you are on the opposing side and an obstacle to our goals. We will hold you as a prisoner to ensure we have the cooperation of the minutemen while we take control of the Commonwealth, it is a pity that you could not help us build that future."

"I wish you had listened to reason or decided to follow my suggestion that you leave." Alec said calmly.

The tension in the room grew as they both watched each other closely, they had reached an impasse and they were each deciding how to resolve it.

Acting by some unseen signal, both Alec and Maxson moved in unison. The Elder reached for his side arm while Alec kicked the table between over and used it as cover.

"Surrender General." Maxson said calmly, "You're surrounded by the Brotherhood and are unarmed, you cannot escape the Prydwen. You will not win this fight."

Alec smirked dangerously behind the table and pressed a button on his Pipboy activating the beacon for the Institute Relay.

Seconds later there was a bright flash of blue lightning within the observation deck just behind Alec and he moved around it. When the light died down standing open and waiting was Alec's new power armour. Jumping inside the waiting metal cradle its systems activated and he saw the surprised looks from the two Brotherhood guards and Maxson himself.

Maxson realised he no longer had the advantage and rushed away as Alec unstrapped a plasma riffle from the armour.

"So now the fun begins." Alec said to himself and he fired off five rapid shots towards the power armoured guards.

It didn't take Alec long to take out the two guards, his new armour held up well against the their minigun fire and his plasma rounds soon penetrated their armour and they fell to the metal floor.

Moving quickly Alec went down into Control Room where the Lancers had set up a firing line and immediately fired on him.

The plasma rifle had been Alec's weapon of choice in Anchorage and now once again it was proving to be a formidable weapon. Activating the rapid-fire mode of the weapon he killed all but Lancer Captain Kells instead Alec shot him in the leg.

"Why are you doing this!" Kells demanded roaring in deep agony, "We should be on the same side."

From within a pouch strapped to the armour, Alec pulled out a specific Holotape designed by the Institute and loaded it into the Control Terminal and activated it. The lights flickered briefly and then the Prydwens evacuation alarm sounded as the Institutes virus took control of the Prydwens systems.

"You should never have left the Capital Wastes." Alec told Kells sadly, "unfortunately for you I need a big spark to jumpstart my plans for the Commonwealth. It seems the Brotherhood is just that spark. I offered Arthur Maxson a retreat, but he refused."

"Even if you destroy us here, the entire Brotherhood will respond once they get word of what has happened." Kells managed to say between breaths, "You will regret this."

"Maybe." Alec said levelling his gun at the Lancer Captain and shot him in the head. "Now tell me, how long does the evacuation take?"

"Why should I tell you." Kells spat, "You are not one of us."

"Because if you don't, I will destroy this ship before they all leave and the deaths of them all will be on you." Alec told him sternly, "including the squires."

Kells closed his eyes and breathed painfully as he grabbed his mangled leg.

"Five minutes. They will all be heading for the flight deck to escape. Those that can, will jump to the ground." He managed to say.

"Thank you Lancer-Captain Kells, you served with honour." Alec said sincerely before he shot him in the head.

With the virus installed Alec quickly moved out of the room and made his way to the Foredeck and stepped outside.

Below he could hear the soldiers on the ground running around, and the occasional crash as a soldier jumped down from the airship, protected by their armour. He couldn't see Maxson from his vantage point but he bet he was down there somewhere ordering them ready to defend the airport from Alec's attack.

This was perhaps the riskiest part of the plan and it was one that Alec had insisted on despite the Institute trying to persuade him against it.

He would make an example of the East Coast Chapter, he would ensure that a powerful message was taken back to the Citadel. The Commonwealth must be protected, and Alec was sure his plan would work if he was right.

As Kells had said, it took only five minutes for the evacuation to be complete. The docked Vertibirds began to fire up their engines and the noise got louder and louder as they then realised the docking clamps and the propellers fired up and they moved away from the airship.

Now it was time to signal Preston.

**O-FALLOUT-O**

The castle was full of minutemen hurrying to and throw, readying themselves for whatever was to come. They had all watched their General return and call out the Brotherhood of Steel for their actions to the south and watched him calmly fly away in a Vertibird.

None of them were sure what was going to happen, but they all trusted the General and were emboldened by his return and were not going to question his orders.

Colonel Garvey was in command of the Castle and he was patrolling the Artillery nests ensuring that the new shells were transferred to the weapons and correctly loaded the men and women were all ready to fire should the need arise.

Down below Ronnie Shaw was ensuring that all of the Minutemen were properly outfitted with weapons, armour, Chems and Ammo.

Preston was worried about the Alec, since he had been rescued by the Sole Survivor two years ago, he had learnt a great deal about the man. It was one of the reasons why Preston and appointed him as General. They had travelled together periodically and if there was one thing Alec Carter could do was find his way out of an unwinnable situation through luck or sheer willpower.

The Generals departure to Far Harbour had not been something Preston had agreed with, however had accepted the order to take command of the minutemen in his absence. It wasn't the first time that Alec had ventured off for some time, he previously had travelled to Nuka World but had soon returned for reinforcements to take on the Raiders who controlled the amusement park.

Command was not something that Preston every wanted for himself, it was why he didn't take the position of General, he did better under the guidance and leadership of others. However he was able to protect their settlements from the usual threats and had protected the trade routes and supply lines they had established.

That was until the trouble with the Brotherhood, that was not something that Preston had been prepared to deal with at all.

He had been at a loss to how to handle the Brotherhood, like Alec, he had attempted to speak to the Brotherhood over the radio but they had ignored the Minuteman Colonel and had refused to speak to the envoy they sent to the airport.

Whatever plan Alec had, Preston was certain that it involved the Institute. He knew that Alec had contacted them, they had built the device to allow him to do it at Sanctuary almost a year ago now.

The new artillery ammunition while unmarked was pristine and it had not been there the last time Preston had been in the tunnels. The only way it could have got there was the Institute through their teleportation technology.

Many of the minutemen had asked Preston what their orders were, and Preston had told them they were to wait for the signal from the General. However, when asked what that signal was Preston hadn't been able to answer as he didn't know either.

That was until the normal radio music suddenly stopped and something started to play over their own broadcast frequency.

"That's that song from Classical Radio sir." Said a young minuteman, "My gran used to listen to it."

"What's going on colonel?" Another asked.

"I don't know." Preston admitted, "remain in your post."

The radio operator was at a loss as he tried to work out what was happening but couldn't see what the issue was and was at a loss.

There was a bright flash as Preston walked down the stairs to the central courtyard and he looked up and saw that there was something falling from the sky and it fluttered as it fell.

It was bright blue he saw but nothing else.

"Colonel." Shaw said with a small salute, "What…"

Preston wasn't listening he was staring at the falling object and when it fell closer and he saw what it was, there was one very similar flying from the castle's parapets and radio mast.

"OPEN FIRE!" He ordered immediately, "FIRE AT THE BROTHERHOOD OF STEEL!"

It took only a single moment for silence before the minutemen on top of the castle turned back to their guns and there was a great boom and plume of smoke as the shells launched.

**O-FALLOUT-O**

The sky surrounding Boston Airport crackled and arched with electricity.

When the first wave dropped it was like a thunderstorm, the Prydwen was insulated and protected from electrical discharge since it was a flying combustible machine. The electrical charge was channelled into its batteries as per the Brotherhood design.

However, the Vertibirds did not have the same protection, and its systems sparked and failed, and they began to fall from the sky with their pilots having to perform crash landings.

The second wave of shells began to fall over the airport and as they rained down a pearlescent blue meteor fell with them at the same time ten Institute Coursers had converged on the airport and a fight had ensued.

The coursers and Alec threw grenades at the Brotherhood of Steel soldiers, they activated and released their electrical energy and crippled their power armour, it then jumped from soldier to soldier with great effect.

Realising that their usual power armoured advantage had been compromised they released themselves from the armour and began to fight back on the ground. However, against the Coursers and Alec whose power armour crackled with residual charge they were cut down one after the other.

Across the battleground Alec saw a figure hurrying through the carnage, wearing working power armour unlike any that Alec had seen before, it looked more advanced that even the X-01 Power Armour but was also unlike his own Institute designed variant.

"MAXSON!" Alec shouted for it couldn't be anyone else and he began to chase after him and wondered what was behind the tarpaulin on the large metal gantry.

"Your too late General." Maxson said through the suit's speakers, "you have lost this fight."

Alec watched as he pushed a button and the terminals around Maxson lit up and something in front of him began to whirl and power up.

"Liberty Prime back online." Said a loud mechanical voice. "Detecting enemy insurgency. Defence protocols activating."

The tarpaulin was pulled out of the way to reveal a giant robot, and it stared down at the airport and suddenly its eye lit up and it fired a laser and destroyed part of the gantry and part of the airport structure.

"Weapons Systems Online….Power Core Offline….Running on External Power…" The Robot said running through its diagnostics.

Taking advantage of Alec being distracted, Maxson had launched himself at him and then collided heavily both falling and rolling from the impact their weapons uselessly held between their armours.

"You will regret this General!" Maxson grunted.

Suddenly Alec felt electrical energy pulse through his armour, unleashed by Maxson's own. Despite his armour being insulated against such an attack a warning light flashed dangerously on his Heads-Up Display.

Pressing a button himself Alec activated his suits jump-jets, two were in the feet and two behind his shoulders and they gave him enough momentum to dislodge Maxson and get out of range of his Tesla modifications.

He landed on the ground and jumped again to avoid a laser beam sent at him by the robot and then Maxson was back on his feet hefting a Gatling laser at him and unleashing a rapid volley. Activating the jump-jets and firing back simultaneously Alec was able to catch the Elder off guard he fired two shots into the back of his armour causing sparks to fly from the rear coils.

Fighting at close quarters was dangerous within Power Armour as it was slow, or at least normally. Alec's armour moved faster than Maxson's, but the armour wasn't as heavy so didn't have the brute force of his.

Alec was about to land a strong punch when he was suddenly kicked aside by the Robot and landed painfully on the ground slightly dazed and his internal sensors detected that the armour was compromised and areas where flashing red and yellow.

Looking up he saw Maxson heading straight for him, but Alec's gun was out of ammo and he didn't have enough time to reload.

Releasing the mechanism built into the right arm, a long pieced of metal sprang forth. It was sharp and jagged, and Alec punched his arm forward and felt it strike Maxson in the lower abdomen and he felt the armour buckle and Maxson cried out in pain.

Silently thanking Dr Li for her upgrades to the power armour Alec got to his feet, picked up his gun and loaded it once more only to turn and find that Maxson was gone leaving a trail of blood in his wake.

The Airport was in disarray, Liberty Prime had managed to destroy some of the warehouses next to the airport and the parking lot was a smoke pile of rubble. Only two coursers were still operational and were trying to distract the robot.

He had to stop the robot before it killed them all, but it seemed impervious to their attacks, it would take more than his plasma rifle to destroy. Then he saw the thick wires that ran from the top of the gantry to the airport tower and from a junction box on its side up to the Prydwen above.

"So, you just need to be unplugged then." Alec said aloud, a quick look at it his HUD showed that he had twenty percent charge left on his armours power core. "That should do it."

Using the last of his fusion core power Alec jumped up onto the Airport terminal and aimed for the umbilical junction box.

"Threat detected to system, terminate threat." Came the mechanical voice of Liberty Prime.

Turning in horror, Alec saw that the robot was looking directly at him and it was powering its laser.

Realising this Alec attempted jump up and out of the way, but Liberty Prime anticipated his movement and tracked him and fired.

The shot missed Alec, but he felt the beams heat through his compromised armour, however the laser continued on and grazed the Airship and one of its engines. The ship listed and moved away, and the momentum broke the umbilical.

Without power and having been mid-step the giant robot had fallen heavily and lay crippled surrounded by what remained of its gantry.

Alec however hadn't seen this originally and he fell from mid-air and landed heavily on the ground, his fusion core was spent and his armour was badly damage, every system was flashing warnings at him and with some effort he rolled over and the frame immediately sprang open to release him.

The battle was over, The Prydwen had settled itself, it was damaged but mostly whole on the old tarmac of the airport amongst the ruined planes. Its engines were still active but without one of them it didn't have the power to stay aloft.

Alec had with the help of the Institute Coursers taken down the Brotherhood in the Commonwealth and they were now without their armour or airship. It would take them a long time to return to the Capital Wastes, for now the Commonwealth was relatively safe.

But Alec knew that eventually the Brotherhood could return to seek retribution and revenge for what had happened here.

There were questions that needed to be answered, but Alec was tired, and his energy spent. He felt numb from the fight. But he also felt a sense of accomplishment, for he would make this day the spark that he could use to forge the Commonwealth into something new.

He couldn't decide whether he was ready for the work it would entail, or if he could even do it. But then if he didn't who would? Then again, was the Commonwealth and its people ready for what was to come? Or would it be down to him to drag them into his envisioned future?

At the edge of the airport there was a great flash as a large contingent of Synths led by four coursers arrived fresh from the Institute.

"Sir, you are requested back at the Institute. Father requests your presence urgently." X7-89 said, "We have been tasked to remain and secure this site and catalogue all that remains."

"Very good." Alec said managing to get gingerly to his feet and felt slightly unsteady. He looked across the battleground and saw the devastation and bodies. "You will dispose of the bodies and keep a record of who fell here today. Keep their dog-tags, one day we might return them to the Brotherhood."

The synth nodded dutifully, this Courser was merely following its programming and had yet to develop its own sentience.

"All of you are to secure this area, I don't know if there are survivors, capture them if you can if they are hostile shoot them." Alec ordered, "I would also personally like to know where Elder Maxson is, he may have escaped but he was injured. This location is off limits to all, defend it. Should any minuteman approach you are to alert them to stand down and return to the Castle by order of General Carter and to report to Colonel Garvey."

"On your orders." The Courser replied, "We shall see that the airship is likewise secured and powered down."

**O-FALLOUT-O**

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**O-FALLOUT-O**

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**O-FALLOUT-O**

**_Authors_**_** Note:**_

**Paladin Danse:** In the games I was never able to decide when he became a synth, I wasn't sure if he was a synth with a memory wipe from the Railroad, or had been killed by the Institute and replaced or something in between! Instead I decided that he was an Institute plant and had nothing to do with the Railroad and the Institute was very much aware of his location.

**Maxson's Power Armour:** Arthur Maxsons personal armour is a modified version of the Enclave Hellfire power armour with Tesla modifications. This armour was in the Capital Wastes and I thought it would make sense for the BOS to have stolen the technology and begun to experiment with it.

**Alec, the Soldier:** Here you see the more ruthless and calculating side of Alec, he knows he had to deal with the Brotherhood, but is going to use it to kick start his vision for a United Commonwealth. He doesn't do it lightly, but there is power in a common enemy.


	3. Chapter 3

Fallout 4: The Rise of the M.C.R

**Chapter Three**

**A New Director**

The Institute was very quiet during the early hours of the morning, even deep underground with no source of outside light the scientists till kept to regular sleeping hours and the working day usually started in the early morning.

Here and there, you would see a Synth carrying out maintenance and cleaning while almost everyone was asleep. It was eerily quiet, there was no music, radio or even a whistle or hum.

The only sound that could be heard was the rush of the water at the base of the elevator shaft.

In a way nothing had changed for the resident's doctors of the Institute, things were running as they usually did, except everything had changed.

Shaun Carter, the Director of the Institute had died at nine o'clock the night before, the entire Institute mourned the loss of Father.

Alec had been with Shaun in those last few hours, having returned from the Boston Airport victorious over the Brotherhood of Steel. Only to find his son on his death bed, he had lived long enough to see Alec return and hear how the battle was won.

What should have heralded a time to celebrate for everyone in the Commonwealth and a great victory was overshadowed for Alec but Shaun's passing. His and Kates son, the last member of his family was now gone, taken not by the Commonwealth but by illness in his old age.

He sat in Shaun's old quarters and felt numb to everything.

Ever since he had woken up within Vault 111 and began to make is way in this new post-war world had all been to find his son. He had done everything he could to gain favours, friends and allies in order to be successful.

Yet for everything Alec had gone through and gained, he had found that his baby boy was in fact a full-grown man, and elderly sick man and they'd had precious little time together.

It felt like Alec was a centre of a very cruel joke.

Getting to know Shaun had been strange, for his son was physically older than himself. They didn't have a lot in common except the curiosity about the others live and the stories they could share.

They had spent many a day and evening debating on certain topics, usually on the Institutes directives, methods and protocols, yet they never became heated. During these debates Shaun reminded Alec so much of Kate and wished that he could have seen her and Shaun debate as they had.

With a great deal of reluctance Alec stopped pretending to try and sleep and summoned Shaun's attending Synth and had it cut his hair. The Generation-II synth did it silently and without fuss which Alec was grateful for and sat noticed things about his son from his quarters.

He had been fond of classical English authors from his extensive collection of pre-war books, it would seem that Shaun had specialised in Bioscience before his appointment as a Director. He also found an old tarnished photograph of himself and Kate from their wedding day, which could only have been acquired from their house in Sanctuary and wondered how it had been obtained.

So much about Shaun was a mystery to him, but they had developed some time of bond between them both. Alec resented Shaun for leaving him trapped on ice for so long, he could have released him earlier, and Alec knew Shaun also regretted that too.

Once the Synth was finished with his hair it also gave Alec a shave. For the first time in years two hundred years Alec was actually clean shaven. Afterwards he thanked the Synth, stepped into the shower, and felt water bead on his skin. Truthfully Shaun's quarters and amenities were beyond almost all he had experience outside of a working Vault.

Stepping out of the shower he felt hot steam waft from his body and he silently dried himself and continued to clean himself up, removing all traces of the surface from his appearance before putting on some of his sons' clothes.

Normally Alec would dress in a vault suit or even his General attire but thought that today called for something more appropriate for the Institute. Dressed in pressed trousers, a crisp white linen shirt and a black jumper and shoes.

No doubt all these items were either retrieved from the surface at some point or the Institute made them itself.

The Institute now sat at a crossroads, they had yet to elect a leader and despite Shaun wishing for Alec to take his place in the Directorate it was not a sure thing. The threat of the Brotherhood of Steel was still very real despite the victory at the airport. It wasn't a matter of if they were to return it was a matter of when.

Dr Ayo had reported that most of the Brotherhood were heading south-west and were being closely watched and followed by Coursers and a large number of older synths but it was believed they were heading for the border and would either end up in Connecticut or Rhode Island.

Elder Maxson had not been found, they found his armour and a stimpak but not his body, however there was a rumour of a Vertibird being spotted near Malden which the SRB was investigating.

However, in the meantime the Institute would vote on its new leader and begin a new era and Alec it was now down to Alec to ensure that the transition of power fell on him. Shaun's funeral would happen in due time, and he would have more time to mourn but for now Alec had to prepare.

So, he set himself at Shaun's desk and began to read through the various papers and files to brief himself on every aspect of the Institute. The more he read the more he wanted to take on Shaun's position, the Institute had to change its ways as there was so much good it could do for the people.

It took him hours to read through the papers and he wrote down his key points for the meeting of the Directorate.

The Brotherhood was a clear threat, Maxson's survival meant that he would eventually return, and seek retribution for what Alec had done. If the Commonwealth was to repel that retribution it meant that the Commonwealth itself must change.

To become strong the Commonwealth would need to grow and expand, its people needed to be united under a common cause. They would need a strong infrastructure and restart commerce and manufacturing. Transportation would need to be improved, all the while bolstering their food production.

The Minutemen were good place to start, however they too would need to evolve and become something more, the Commonwealth needed a strong military to not only combat the Brotherhood but all threats that it faces. However, to become the powerful force that it would need to be it would need to have the full support of the people.

That would be far harder to gain Alec knew, the Commonwealth was filled with a deep level of distrust that had been made worse because of the Institute Synth program, the fear of the Institute was greater than the fear of the Brotherhood and the Institutes operations would endanger his vision unless he could not only change the Institute but also reassure people of its intentions.

A knock on the door roused him from his writing and planning.

"Mr Carter." Called his personal attendant, "The Directorate has assembled in the boardroom and are awaiting your attendance."

"Thank you." Alec replied quietly and took a moment to calm his mind and focus on what he needed to do and then stood and made his way to the boardroom, he could not fail, if he did the Commonwealth was doomed.

The various department heads sat looking at him expectantly as he walked through the door, Alec would admit to himself that he was nervous, but he wouldn't let them see it. Steeling himself he strode purposefully and confidently inside and took the seat at the head of the table.

"Good Morning." He said as he took his seat, "Thank you all for coming, as I am sure we all know this is a time of mourning for all here within the Institute."

They sat quietly but he saw that grief on all their faces, and he felt the bitter resentment in his belly that they had known Shaun better than he had.

"Father devoted his life to the Institute, he would never want our work to stall because of his death." Dr Fillmore said sadly, she was who Shaun had told Alec to lean on after his death for she would aid him, "he devoted his life to our mission, we should honour his work by ensuring that the Institute continues to push the realms of discovery."

"I agree." Dr Ayo agreed, "Father served the Institute well and always pushed us toward what he thought was best and was rarely wrong in all of his years."

"I too believe that our mission must continue, but what path do we follow now?" Dr Li questioned, of all the department heads she was the only one who had come from the surface and had not been born in the Institute. "The Brotherhood of Steel has suffered a grievous defeat here at Alec's hand but be rest assured that they will lick their wounds and return again in larger numbers. Their mandate is to confiscate technology they deem too dangerous for humanity, the Institute holds the most sophisticated technology in history. The Brotherhood will not rest until the perceived threat of our technology is removed and they control it."

Many of the heads of departments looked sceptical, Dr Ayo looked resigned his position in the SRB must have given him the same insight but to Alec's surprise some looked at her with cool suspicion.

"You sound like you might still respect their goals." Dr Holden stated shrewdly, "I know you and Father did not see eye to eye on some matters, do you mean to leave us Madison?"

"No." She replied calmly, "I left the Brotherhood as I did not like how they were using my research, but I understand them better than most of you here. We might have crippled that airship and their Vertibirds, but we only crippled a small chapter of their dominion. I have read the report that they had Liberty Prime at the Airport and were beginning to assemble it, had they succeeded they could have reach us down here and infiltrated the Institute."

The Directorate silently absorbed this and didn't argue, perhaps realising that the Brotherhood was still a threat, or did not wish to challenge Dr Li further, but the silence gave Alec the opportunity to intervene.

"The defeat of the Brotherhood will be credited to Minutemen. I fought them in my position as General. The shelling of the airport that helped pave the way for my victory was carried out by the minutemen." Alec said making sure he spoke clearly and confidently, "it was a major win for the Commonwealth, one that would not have been possible if it were not for the support of the Institute. I however will ensure that it was known that Minutemen were victorious in this battle and that the Institute gave its assistance to rid the Commonwealth of the Brotherhood."

Dr Ayo cleared his throat, "If that is your plan Alec, they why did we transport the shells to the tunnels under the Castle and not deliver them directly? You know as well as I the mistrust everyone on the surface has for the Institute. If they had known, they might not have even used the shells out of fear of a Synth popping out of the ground."

Alec looked at the man and he saw the challenge set before him by the Dr, but it only caused a slight smirk to appear on Alecs face and he saw the Directorate look at him expectantly.

"On the contrary, Colonel Garvey knew exactly where those munitions came from, he knows of my association with the Institute for he was there when I broke in through the relay." Alec assured them calmly. "What I plan to do is start to paint a new picture of the Institute, one that doesn't cause fear or paranoia. Being the bogeyman of the Commonwealth only causes tension and distrust and endangers the Institute. Under my leadership I will see the Institute working closely and in partnership with those on the surface."

The room was silent for a long moment before a unanimous question was asked.

"Why"

"I want to unite the Commonwealth under a single banner, to ensure that we are ready for any and all threats to our sovereignty and to make a better future for its people. To do that the Institute must actively participate in the goings on above, and should I be successful the Institute will help shape the Commonwealth, while also preventing further conflicts which endanger our work here." Alec explained, "the Institute cannot stand alone, we need the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth needs us."

"Some of you even now are questioning how I, who was not raised in the Institute and who does not hold any doctorate can lead the Institute." Alec continued, "Now I am not a scientist, but I am a fully qualified mechanical engineer. That was the qualification I gained before I joined the US Army, I might be a soldier, but I am so much more. I am Pre-War, I have seen what a society can be and I plan to learn from where it failed."

The departments heads exchanged looks, talking through silent means but they did not question him outright.

"So, you wish to end our isolationism?" Dr Li asked looking for clarification, "You wish to use us to better the Commonwealth."

"No." Alec said frowning, "Or at least not entirely. If my vision for the future of a rebuilt Commonwealth of Massachusetts is to succeed, the Institute is a key contributor. The technology we have grants us a technological supremacy but beyond that it can help improve the lives of all who call this country home. With the additional support of the surface you will have additional resources and access to further your research and can better face threats to our way of life."

There were a few nods of appreciation and understanding which only spurred Alec on.

"Even with the Institute operating out of the shadows and in the light of the Commonwealth, we must still continue our ongoing projects and push all areas of research and try to advance our understanding of all fields."

"The surface is beyond our help." Ayo argued, "Father always said…"

"No." Alec said stopping him, "I have come from the surface, I have travelled across the Commonwealth and met all manner of people and experience more of it that any of you. The surface is not beyond help, in fact they could use the Institutes help. The fear and paranoia you are accustomed to is because of the Institutes secrecy and Gen-III Program."

There was a lot of grumbles around the table, but Dr Li at least looked intrigued.

"Will you support my taking on Shaun's position as Director of the Institute?" Alec asked them.

A long pause came before they were agreement from all the department heads, although Alec wondered how happy they would be with the changes he would make.

"Father wanted you as Director, he said you had the vision for our future." Dr Filmore said firmly, "I do not see why we shouldn't trust him even now."

"Thank you." Alec said and he summoned a Synth to pour each of them a drink and gave a toast to Shaun. Once the drink was over Alec put the tumbler down and returned to the business at hand.

"My first act of Director will be to halt all production of Gen-III synths." He told them sternly and gained an instant uproar of disagreement, but he spoke over them and stopped their grumbling with a withering look. "That program must end immediately. It is this program that has caused the Institute to be hated, what more can we obtain from the program? We have already proved that it is a success."

"They are the future of humanity!" Dr Holdren exclaimed.

"How so?" Alex asked with astute interest, he had thought about this a lot and had even researched the project to ensure he understood it enough to make an informed decision, "You do not value the surface, you send your creations above to do your bidding while you reside safe down here. You treat synths merely as a tool, no different than a screwdriver. Yet they are the future of humanity? However, these tools you create rebel against its creators and seek freedom? Tell me how a tool is the future of humanity?"

The heads of departments stared at Alec for several minutes before an argument broke out around the table as they argued about the issue at hand, however all of the arguments failed to provide a valid reason to continue the current program.

"Enough." Alec said after enough time had passed, "For now the project is halted, I want its resources reallocated to newer projects. However, I would like Dr Binet further his research into artificial intelligence but also the development of sentience in the synth mind. We should understand synth evolution since we created them."

"What do you plan Director?" Dr Fillmore asked, she looked like she still wanted to argue about the Synth Program but was professional enough to follow his lead.

"As I said the Gen-III Program is defunct and the older models are redundant. I propose a creation of a new Generation of Synths. These Synths will be the start of Institute transparency, they must be clearly distinguishable as a Synth with various markers, however these will not imitate humans, I want them to be the tools we work and rebuild the commonwealth."

"But that…" Dr Binet began confused as he tried to form a response, "I understand my research parameters director, but I do not understand this direction of research. Why do we them distinguishable?"

"Are you all aware of the early prototype Synth who resides in Diamond City?" Alec asked turning the conversation around.

There were several nods from around the table.

"We have long monitored Nick Valentine." Dr Ayo reported, "Dr Zimmer could never decide if we should retrieve the unit or not."

"What have you observed of the behaviour of the people on the surface around Nick?" Alec questioned, "Do they accept him?"

Dr Ayo looked uncomfortable now. "I believe so, many question if he is our spy, but they will deal with the unit and some even happily converse and are friendly to it."

"Is that so strange?" Dr Binet asked, "We are friendly with our own Synths."

"In some cases, more than friendly Alan." Dr Ayo says pointedly.

"Well…" Alec said clearing his throat to get the meeting back on track, and away from Dr Binets personal affairs. "Nick is a respected and accepted member of the Diamond City populace. He has his own property and business too. He is obviously a Synth and the people have no cause to fear him any more than their neighbour."

"You point may have merit." Dr Ayo conceded begrudgingly.

"Never again will the institute abduct citizens of the Commonwealth and replace them with synthetic duplicates." Alec told them categorically and made sure to meet each of their eyes to show how adamant he was about this rule. "That was the old Institute, and those days of research are done. This new generation of Synths might just be tools however they can also be a social experiment, to see if they can be accepted on the surface."

There was looks of speculations from the various heads of department, as each tried to think what this meant for each of them and their people.

"Now I have said that I intend to unite the Commonwealth, and that I wish the Institute to be part of the united Commonwealth. To that end that will mean an end to our non-involvement policies." Alec stated firmly, "In no way does this mean we shall compromise the integrity and security of the Institute. However, it does mean that eventually that a member of the Institute…. Not I… Must deal with those on the surface in some capacity. This I would imagine be ratified by the signing of a document, like the constitution of old as we begin to unite the Commonwealth."

"Director we do not get on well up on the surface." Dr Filmore expressed with a shiver, "We only venture above if we are in a clean room suit, which will hardly help our reimagined image."

"Perhaps we could use a Synth?" Dr Ayo contemplated, "It wouldn't be hard to program one to act in our interest, we should perhaps write a new personality and governing code, but it could be done."

"It could work." Alec agreed, "but remember that the Synth must be recognisable as a Synth. Depending on how quickly Dr Binet can design and start production on the next generation of Synths I might suggest adapting a Gen-II shell for this position until it can be uploaded to a newer shell."

"It will be done." Dr Binet said with a firm nod.

The room while before felt frosty and unwelcoming now felt cooperative at the least which Alec took as a sign of encouragement.

"Dr Holden, I would like your department to begin a new project to oversee the rehabilitation of surface fauna. We need to see if we cannot stimulate the plant life of the Commonwealth to begin its recovery." Alec told him and was surprised to see a thoughtful expression on the man's face, "I would sanction and encourage the exploration of the Commonwealth and further afar to acquire new species to experiment with, radiation mutation is random after all, you might find better samples further afield."

"I wonder if you have would indulge my argument to restart our cloning program?" Holden said delicately but Alec caught the exasperated sighs from the others and assumed this was an old argument, "we abandoned our attempts years ago due to the lack of resources, but my grandfather had some success in this field."

"A worthy endeavour." Alec said encouragingly, but then allowed a certain amount of steel to enter his voice. "I however forbid the creation or development of further mutated creatures. The Deathclaw was made by pre-war scientists as a weapon, I am also very much aware of the Institutes experiments with FEV."

There was an awkward moment around the table, they had not known he knew that the Institute was the cause of the Super mutants of the Commonwealth.

"If the biologists create a workable genome for animals that are as close to their Pre-War ancestors as possible, I will greenlight this project." Alec continued, "however if the directorate agrees, I would propose that the first animal should be one that would improve the lives for many on the surface."

"What would that be Director?" Holdren asked excitedly.

"Horses." Alec told him simply, "They are beasts of burden, if we can reintroduce the species then it will go a long way to help the Commonwealth. If you succeed in this then I will also allocate more resources to your department to further our goals in this area."

"It would be my pleasure Director!" Holdren nodded happily out and looked about ready to run to his lab to begin his research.

His direction of this new project was accepted by the directorate easily and they too saw the benefits of the creation of a horse breed for the surface, it would help the surface dwellers but could also help the Institute and show the surface that they were trying to help them, a foreign concept as that was to the Directorate.

"Do you have any questions?" Alec then asked them, "I am new to this position and my changes might seem radical, but I only wish to further the Institutes scientific goals and to share our knowledge with the surface to usher in a new age for the Commonwealth."

"I have one question." Dr Fillmore said, "I know you want to change our reputation, but how do you plan to lead us from the shadows into the light and have our presence accepted by those above us?"

Alec smiled at her, it was a very valid question and one he had been considering all night.

"Fifty years ago or thereabouts, the leaders of the most influential communities from across the Commonwealth came together to try and establish a working provisional government. Now the CPG failed, I do not know exactly what happens as all sides claim things happened differently and all point fingers at the others. However, what is clear to me was that the idea was the right one but unlike those that came before I will not fail."

"Is it your intention to unify the Commonwealth under a military dictatorship?" Dr Ayo asked sounding slightly concerned.

"No!" Alec declared passionately, "The USA was founded in the belief of democracy and freedom and to give a voice to all of those who called themselves American. My vision is to follow the founding fathers and unite the Commonwealth as a whole, I will bring the leaders of the factions and settlements to the table and come to an accord. It will not be easy, just getting them to the table will be hard enough."

"If that is your plan." Dr Li said shrewdly, "And we attend this meeting we would gain a seat at this table with the others as you look to build a united Commonwealth."

"Exactly." Alec said immediately smiling broadly, "the foundation of any accord will be to ensure non-interference and the recognition of sovereignty of each signatory. This should pave the way to allow the Institute in the future becoming the centre of education for all, the leader of technological innovation and with our help the Commonwealth might yet recover and grow. Which is why it is important that our representative is competent and must speak for the entire directorate."

"You are the Director." Dr Filmore pointed out, "You are the Head of the Institute why can you not represent us?"

"He cannot, for it will afford him too much power on a table by people who will see it as an imbalance of power." Dr Li told her, "It is a clever move if a touch underhand. It will afford Alec being outed as Director and further protects our security. We can ensure the Synth knows nothing that could compromise the Institute."

She had a point Alec conceded silently, it didn't exactly meet with his idea of a transparent Institute dealing with the Institute but for now it would have to do until a new director could be appointed who could follow in his footsteps.

"So, what is your long-term plan?" Dr Li asked, "You have this vision, but you have not elaborated on that. You took action against the Brotherhood not because of the threat to the Institute but because they attacked those under your protection as General of the Minutemen."

It was a fair observation, but it was not entirely correct, something that Alec needed to explain.

"Your right of course, I acted because the Brotherhood overstepped itself by attacked two of the settlements that fall under my protection." Alec confirmed, "However, the Brotherhood was a dangerous neighbour and one that threatened all within the Commonwealth, the Institute included."

"Arthur Maxson has survived the battle, he will return with the full might of the Brotherhood of Steel. It is only a matter of time. We however still have enemies and adversaries within our boarders that need to be dealt with. For now, I intend to build a council of government, but first I need to bring the leaders of the largest communities together. Then I can begin the great task of rebuilding the Commonwealth."

They all watched him closely as he spoke, for he now he was just speaking openly as he thought it all through.

"While I admit there is a falsehood in my not representing the Institute, I am affiliated closely to everyone so I am the key to this all, I cannot act in favour of one seat without alienating another. If I abused my power my entire vision will crumble much like the CPG."

"Very well." Dr Ayo said looking around the room, "Shall we put it to the vote?"

Everyone nodded and looked to Alec to start.

The vote while slow and surprisingly unanimous.

"Very good." Alec nodded happy to have their support in forging the United Commonwealth or whatever it might be called, "Now I have further assignments that we should discuss, and I would like your input into many of them so shall we begin?"

The Directorate sat for a further six hours discussing a multitude of proposals and altering them here and there to get the most out of them, if there was one thing Alec hadn't taken into account it was the think tank effect of scientists.

The SRB would begin to recall all Synth Assets from across the Commonwealth. Some would be handled delicately such as Roger Warwick, who would be left in place until he could be extracted without causing harm to his family given their recent upheaval by the Brotherhood. Magnolia however would be left in place as she gave something to the Commonwealth through her singing and would be missed. However, a plan needed to be made for the current mayor of Diamond City.

Dr Ayo's department would also maintain the security of Boston Airport while the other synth units continued to comb through the former Brotherhood base and salvaged everything that wasn't bolted down.

Facilities was ordered to begin work on a series of plans and schematics for infrastructure to be built on the surface, the Commonwealth would need to be rebuilt and it would need the Institutes help getting everything working and better than it was before the bombs fell.

Next Alec ordered Dr Filmore to update areas of the Institute that had become outdated such as the FEV Laboratories and the old robotics wing. These areas took up space that could be put to better use but also contained materials that the Institute could use for their various projects. His last order was that he wanted the CIT building on the surface surveyed and a detailed report on its state and necessary repairs to return it to what it once was.

Advanced Systems were to oversee the cataloguing of the various technologies that would be transported from the Airport and begin to see what might be useful to the Institute and the Commonwealth. Something that Dr Li wholeheartedly supported, Alec gave her the discretion to pursue any project that could prove useful and should she need more resources to come to him.

He also agreed to provide further resources to ongoing projects but said that she was to ensure that her department did not waste time on projects that were truthfully not possible and in the realms of science fiction.

The wreckage of Liberty Prime was to be crated up and once its operating system was removed, Alec ordered it transported to Vault 88 to be stored within the cave system protected by a sentrybot.

As for the Prydwen, Alec remained conflicted on its possible future.

It had no true military value as its was incredibly vulnerable and therefore couldn't be used in combat. But Alec thought that with some work it could be used to benefit the Commonwealth, but first it needed to look very different from the symbol of Brotherhood oppression it currently was.

It had been Dr Li and Filmore together who proposed to have a large team of Synths work to adapt the old Airport Terminal and turn it into a large hanger bay to dock the airship within and protect it from harm. This would then allow the Institute to investigate the airship safely and study its technology and whatever else it might contain. There was also the possibility of them adapting it for their needs should it be required.

It would take a lot of work to accomplish their proposal, but the directorate signed it off after some debate. The Vertibirds would also be hauled closer to the terminal so that they remained protected and out of the wrong hands.

Dr Li and Filmore also wished to see if the Vertibirds design could be improved as beyond the docking clamps hasn't changed in two hundred years.

With the last of his proposals and amendments to existing projects made Alec dismissed the directorate and was left alone and he finally relaxed and gave a great sigh.

He wondered briefly what Kate would think of everything he had done, everything he planned to do. She had always said he was more than a solider, but he had always disagreed. Building a state or country it was something he could imagine her doing, but not him.

This entire plan was delicate, but he thought he owed it to both Shaun and Kate to try and achieve his goals. Kate would have seen what the word had become been determined to fix it like Alec, but her way would involve less guns and more diplomacy.

Alec stood and looked out of the window and watched as the Institute became filled with activity, this was all his now, he had the power of the entire Institute behind him and he wondered if it would be enough.

But one small voice in his mind also wondered if he could keep them in line and remain as director, he was wary of pushing them too far.

**O-FALLOUT-O**

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**O-FALLOUT-O**

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**O-FALLOUT-O**


	4. Chapter 4

Fallout 4: The Rise of the M.C.R

**Chapter Four**

**The Invitations**

On the outskirts of Boston was a settlement that Alec only visited a handful of times, Vault 81 had been a curiosity to him when he had discovered its existence but had only finally visited when he had need of its medical facilities following an attack on super mutants.

He had spent a week recuperating following his admittance and treatment and he had been curious to understand how it functioned and lasted two centuries. What had surprised him about the existence of Vault 81 was that it had done exactly what the old Vault-Tec commercials had promised; safeguard humanity for the future.

That was before Alec discovered the hidden truth of the Vault 81 mission. The vaults secret program had been sabotaged by its original Overseer, she had singlehandedly ensured the survival of the vaults population and it had endured for two centuries before it finally opened its doors to the surface.

None of the residents of Vault 81 had been aware of the secret operations of their vault, the secrets of Vault 81 had died with its original Overseer. That had all changed when young Austin had been bitten by an infected Molerat from the secret partition of Vault 81.

His time in the Vault wasn't misspent, he had helped to acquire the cure to the disease the boy had contracted but also his finding the secret partition allowed Vault 81 to expand. One of the better finds from the incident came in the form of a Miss Nanny robot.

Curie was in Alec's own opinion a sentient synthetic being, which was why despite the Institutes belief that sentients in robotics was not possible, he had helped upload her consciousness into a Synth body with the help of Dr Amari and the Railroad.

Since acquiring her new body, she had travelled to Goodneighbour to study the ghoul population before she had moved to Diamond City to assist Doctor Sun with his practice following the altercation with Doctor Croaker. Curie wanted to understand the effects of the radiation on physiology and to find a way to improve the lives of those she studied.

If Vault 81 had any claim on Curie they had never pressed it and had allowed her to leave the Vault freely.

Stepping through the cave passage Alec finally was met with the Vault 81 door, with a sigh of relief having journeyed all the way from Bunker Hill he deposited two of the large bags that he was carrying and pressed the intercom button on the ham radio on the table.

"Vault 81 Security. State your name and purpose." Came the dulcet tones of Officer Edwards, chief of Vault 81 security.

Alec rolled his eyes, he had forgotten the vaults prejudice against surface dwellers but as he looked over the Gear Door he took notice of the two automated turrets and thought that there might be another enticement that he could use to help Vault 81 and sweeten any deal he might make.

"General Alec Carter of the Commonwealth Minutemen, Former Vault Dweller of Vault 111 and a friend of Vault 81." Alec recited, "I have business in Vault 81, I have that privilege, granted to me by the Overseer."

"Oh Alec." Edward said lamely, "we were not expecting you."

"No, but I come baring gifts." Alec said, "Now open up Edwards, this stuff isn't light you know."

The Vault doors lights lit up and a loud mechanical noise permeated the cave as the gear door began to move. Alec picked up the bags and moved towards the door, his own steps making loud noises as he walked up the steps.

"Stop right there!" Edwards said challenging Alec, "Move another step and we will open fire."

Alec looked around the Vault Entrance and saw several security officers all pointing weapons at him.

"Stand down." Alec said through the power armours external speakers, "It's me, I just needed the additional muscle to lug these supplies here."

With a push of an internal button, the power armour, a set of X-01 that had been restored and painted in the colours of the minutemen opened and Alec stepped out of its cradle.

"See." He said raising his hands, his own weapons still securely strapped to his legs. "It's only me."

"You could have warned us of your armour." Edwards complained but dropped his weapon followed by his officers. "Never seen armour like it here before."

Alec nodded and stepped back inside the armour and placed six large duffle bags on the ground before moved away and standing in the corner to shed the armour once again.

"No one is to touch that armour." Alec warned as he removed the Fusion Core, "However these bags are for the Vault."

"What is going on up here?" Said a new voice joining them, and Alec saw that it was Gwen McNamara, the Overseer. "I got the alert that we… Alec? What a surprise, it's been a while."

"It has." Alec agreed, and he pointed to the duffle bags, "Two of these are for Calvin, they are tools and equipment to help with your maintenance. I also have four fusion cores to help with your power requirements. I also have some fertilizer for Dr Penske, chems and supplies for Forsythe, some additional books and materials for your school and some other odds and ends that I thought you might use."

They all stared at him in surprise and then their gazes hardened.

"What is the price?" McNamara asked, "What do you want in trade Alec?"

"This is a gift, think of it as a gift basket from the Commonwealth." Alec said smiling, "However there is also an opportunity that I wish to discuss with you."

McNamara looked at him for a long moment before nodding. "Seal the door, it's creating a draft. Get Cal these supplies and ensure they are where they are needed."

"Of course, Overseer!"

"Alec you should come to my office." She said sternly and she led him to the elevator and pressed the button to descend and they didn't speak the whole way to the Atrium and then walked in silence to her office and she sat down and glared at him. "What are you up to Alec."

"No hello Overseer?" Alec laughed, "I literally just made the day for most of your people in this vault, those supplies will help your people."

"Do not think me naïve Alec." She told him sternly, "I know you are here for something, and given that gift basket as you called it, it must be something very big that your trying to buy the good will of my residents."

Alec regarded her carefully and wondered how best to tackle this. One of his first tests of his vision.

"Your right of course." He said finally holding his hands up in a gesture of openness and surrender. "You are no fool, you proved that the day you opened the door of Vault 81 and began to trade with the surface having realised you could no longer be entirely self-sufficient. I know that you are still wary of the surface, however Vault 81 is now dependent on the trade with the Surface."

"We are not so dependent." She refuted haughtily but deflated slightly, "Not entirely anyway, our trade relations merely make things down here easier."

"I have also heard that you have also begun to offer medical care to any who travel here and can pay for your services?" Alex prompted, "How did that come about?"

"We have treated several patients; it was you who gave us the idea actually." She admitted, "We needed an additional revenue, we couldn't rely solely on bartering our belongings. Vault 81 needed Caps, the surface needs medical treatment. It seemed like a good idea and it has allowed us get a lot more through the Bunker Hill trade caravans."

"I see." Alec considered slowly mulling it over in his mind, "However you must be aware that this venture could strain your medical supplies meaning your own people could suffer. Not only that, you risk your security every time you open that door and do not know who is on the other side."

"This is the same conversation I have had with the various department heads and also in our monthly sit downs with the residents." She told him, "However for this Vault to continue, all of this is necessary."

"Do not think that I disapprove of what you have begun to do, in fact I admire your entrepreneurial spirit, but more than that I like that you are helping the people of the Commonwealth. Despite your people's isolation you are still a part of the Commonwealth." Alec told her, "That means something."

"We have kept to ourselves for so long this is our nature now, we do not get involved with surface affairs." She told him, "We will not open our doors to everyone, nor we will abandon the safety of our home."

Alec smiled now, "And I am not asking you to, nor would I ask the same of Diamond City, Goodneighbour or even the Institute."

"The Institute!" McNamara exclaimed in shock, "You are speaking with them! They steal people! Replace them with Synths!"

"They have done." Alec agreed, "They are now feared across all of the Commonwealth. But what if you didn't have to fear them? What if you didn't have to fear any of the settlements of the Commonwealth? What if you had a way of having a say in the future of the Commonwealth? What would that mean for you and Vault 81?"

Overseer McNamara looked at him frowning deeply as she digested what he had said and then he saw a look of realisation overcome her as she connected all the dots.

"You can't be serious…" She said aghast, "You want to…. Alec. Are you trying to establish a new Provisional Government? I have heard stories about the last one from traders."

It didn't surprise him at all that she knew about the failed CPG when they opened their doors they would have wanted to catch up on the history of the Commonwealth.

"In a nutshell, I do." Alec said firmly, "I want a united Commonwealth, one with a foundation of strength so that it no longer fosters fear and can stand up to those that would do us harm. I want the people to prosper and be free to live their lives without oppression."

McNamara nodded slightly agreeing with his points.

"I am sure you have heard what happened at the old airport?" He prompted.

"Sure." McNamara replied looking a little lost now, "It was broadcast over Diamond City Radio. You took down the entire chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel. Singlehandedly if the report is to be believed."

Alec laughed lightly; the truth wasn't well known just yet but there was a power in the truth.

"No not singlehandedly. Under my order, the Minutemen at Fort Independence shelled the airport and were able to cripple the Brotherhoods vertibirds, power armour and other technological advances. However, the shells were actually provided by the Institute, they also contributed ground support while I sabotaged the airship and defeated their leader and that giant robot."

She gave him a strange look before she got up and went to her sideboard and poured herself a stiff drink and downed it in one. She took a deep breath and looked at him closely.

"If you are already capable of such a feat, then why do this?" She asked him directly, "Why come here and ask for our assistance, what can we contribute?"

That shocked Alec, it was not a question he had thought she would ask.

"A different perspective." Alec said slowly trying to steer the conversation back to where he was more prepared to discuss and answer. "You are invited to this summit of leaders; I plan to invite the leaders of the largest and most influential settlements of the Commonwealth. If I can get you all in a room and can come to an agreement of mutual benefit then we can begin to forge a new commonwealth, one what is safer for not just us, but also our children, and their children after them."

"A lofty goal, but is it possible?" She asked but it was rhetorical, "And you want Vault 81 to be a part of this meeting?"

"Yes." Alec told her simply, "No matter how secluded you are here, you are part of the commonwealth. Vault 81 needs trade and supplies and the ongoing security of the Commonwealth in order to continue to prosper. If my plan is successful Vault 81 will have a say in the future, not only its own but that of all the Commonwealth."

The Overseer sighed, "Whether I like this idea or not, and whether we attend or not. If you go ahead with your plan it will still affect us."

Alec smiled happy to see that she at least understood the gravity of the situation and that it was in her best interest to attend.

"Exactly, I am offering you and by extension your people the opportunity to have influence over that future."

"For this to work you will need all of the big communities on board." She said seeing his point, "I assume you will establish some type of council?"

"Yes!" Alec agreed. "but only if I can get everyone to agree, I think that will be harder than getting everyone to attend to tell you the truth."

"If I was to agree to this mad idea of yours, what would you need from us?" She asked, "What exactly?"

"Exactly?" Alec contemplated thinking about it carefully now, it was a good question, "I don't know, it could amount to nothing after all. At a minimum, you would need to have a representative to sit on the council. You yourself would need to attend this meeting and to sign any agreement we come to, after than you would have someone sit in your stead."

"That is… workable." She told him after a long moment's consideration.

"Good!" Alec said letting out a breath he hadn't noticed himself holding, "I want to draft an agreement that ensures that each signatory is officially recognised, the rights of its people protected."

"Just so you know, we have studied the old constitution down here as part of our school curriculum." She told him, "I understand what you are trying to build Alec but if you are successful do not think I will be so easily moved in the future."

"I wouldn't dare." Alec said honestly, "I am sure we will agree and disagree on a great many things, but all that means is that we are working towards democracy. Something our forebearers fought for and what was lost prior to the Great War."

Alec stood up now and looked at her keenly trying to get a final read of her, but the woman had a good poker face.

"So, I can trust on your support and attendance to this summit?" Alec asked.

"You can trust that I will attend." She promised, "I will sell this to my people, it will mean a great change for them in some ways but mostly things will stay the same. As to my support that will depend on the offer on the table. Where will this meeting take place?"

"I haven't decided yet." Alec admitted, "I need to find somewhere neutral, but you will have a minutemen escort once I have decided."

**o-FALLOUT-o**

Journeying across the ruins of old Boston was never a journey Alec enjoyed making, it was perilous despite the advances the Minutemen had made in clearing out the city. There were still numerous super mutant territories spread throughout the ruins which often caused problems for Diamond City.

Fortunately for Alec the only obstacle he came across was a large roaming pack of Feral Ghouls which he had managed to avoid without firing a shot.

It took him just under two hours to cross through the ruins but eventually he saw the towering rusted green walls of Fenway Park Stadium which protected and housed Diamond City.

If one thing could be said about Diamond City, it was that it was a hub of activity, filled with people getting on with their lives in a way comparable to what Alec remembered before he entered Vault 111. The City boasted a school, surgery and a busy market, but also a chapel and a newspaper publisher.

There was a culture in Diamond City that did not exist anywhere else within the Commonwealth.

Most of the people in the city believed that Diamond City was the best that the Commonwealth had to offer, and it was the beating heart of everything. An opinion Alec found reminded him distantly of the folk from Pre-War Boston.

Despite the apparent sophistication of Diamond City, Alec hated the city. It was a shanty town, calling it city was like putting lipstick on a pig. The city was led by an Institute Synth and one that was to be recalled as soon as possible, but it was not yet time to do so.

Mayor McDonough had ousted the ghoul and criminal population from the city prior to Alec awakening from cryo sleep, hardly a man that Alec could respect. The Slog under his protection and limited sponsorship had grown considerably and was prospering from the tarberry trade. There was a distinction between Ferals and Ghouls, and it might be a fine line, but Alec could see it and respected it.

Of course, the ban on Ghouls was only a part of the problem. Diamond City had a class system, a social divide between the wealthy Upper Stands residents and the poorer lower stands.

Yet despite his disdain for the city, it was still the self-proclaimed Great Green Jewel of the Commonwealth, and it was one of the most recognised major settlements and one that Alec needed to bring to the table.

Walking down the stands towards the market Alec made his way to Homeplate which he had purchased a year before as a bolt hole within the city. Shedding his protective armour and removing its fusion core to ensure that it was not stolen.

He was about to make his way back across the Market when Alec caught sight of a red coat and press cap walking towards him and he knew that Diamond City's reporter was about to collar him for a story.

"Blue!" She called, "Just the man I wanted to see!"

Alec smiled fondly and shook his head, "Piper did you have Danny spying on the front gate for you to tell you when I entered the city? I have barely stepped foot into the city and here you are, pen and paper in hand ready to ask me questions."

She didn't look fazed by his question and instead seemed happy.

"Strike while the Iron is hot." She quoted, "I need to interview you Blue; The people need to know what happened at the Airport, The Brotherhood is gone and now the Institute have secured the site. According to my sources the minutemen also assisted in the Brotherhoods expulsion from the commonwealth!"

Alec held up his hands to stall her, he knew the news of the battle at Boston Airport had already made their airwaves, but he knew how dangerous false stories and rumours could be and would need to keep control of the narrative.

"Piper! Take a breath!" He told her calmly, "You will get the story you want, I will tell you everything you need to publish your next issue I promise. First however I need to have a meeting with your illustrious Mayor, not that he knows that I am coming."

"I will hold you to that Blue." Piper warned, "I will get us a table at the Dugout, you can bring the Noodles."

"Sure." Alec smiled and he went to turn away to move towards the lift that would lead him to the Mayor's office but stopped and frowned. "Piper wait a moment."

He moved over to the Publick Occurrences office and pulled out a pen and paper of his own and quickly wrote down some points before he folder it up before Piper could read it.

"Do not read what is on this paper." Alec instructed, "If I do not meet you at the Dugout tonight then you can read it, you will find your next story here and I want it spread across the entire city."

Piper took the folder paper and gave him a confused look, "What is it?"

"It outlines why I am here to speak to the Mayor and what I am hoping to do. If I do not meet you then it will be because your Mayor refused me, and I promise you will enjoy writing the story it gives you information on." Alec stated firmly, "However, you must only read it if I do not meet you."

"Why don't you just tell me what it contains?" Piper asked bewildered.

"Because that is the way it needs to be." Alec told her, "trust me Piper, I am keeping you in the dark here for a reason, I will explain more when I meet you if I am successful."

"Okay Blue." Piper said and she reluctantly put the paper in her pocket, "I will make sure to get us a table, you better meet me!"

The meeting with Mayor McDonough lasted almost an hour and it was going around in circles and Alec was finding it hard to resist the urge to strangle the man. Geneva had also attended the meeting and was busy taking notes of the meeting but had remained mute throughout the entire thing.

"The answer is no." McDonough said firmly, "Diamond City sent a delegation the last time this was attempted, and they were killed."

"By a synth if the stories are correct." Alec pointed out narrowing his eyes at the Mayor trying to understand how to get him to concede and attend.

"The Institute has no need to interfere, Synths pose no danger to the people of Diamond City." McDonough said dismissively, "That was a lie spread by the people, their paranoia shaping a narrative that the Institute is out there ready to kill everyone."

"I agree." Alec said noticing how the Mayor made sure to reinforce his agenda that the Institute meant no harm. He decided to try another tactic to appeal to the Mayor.

"You do realise that you are jeopardising the future of Diamond City." Alec pointed out, "If you join the collective government of settlement representatives you and your people have say in the future of the Commonwealth. Your refusal is denying them any say in the future."

"No, Diamond City has functioned well for two centuries without oversight." McDonough argued, "Who else will be attending this meeting?"

"The Institute." Alec said simply wondering what the Mayor would do with that information.

A gasp came from Geneva and she looked to her boss expectantly, but he was looking at Alec gaping like a fish.

"The Institute?" He said slowly, "They will attend."

"Yes." Alec said, "they were the first settlement to agree to this meeting, they understand their importance of what I am trying to build and are willing to contribute. However, if your fear is your own safety Mayor McDonough, I can assure you that unlike the previous CPG, this new meeting will have the minutemen providing all of the necessary security and I will personally ensure that the delegates are safe."

"I still say there is no need for us to be represented." McDonough backpedalled. "We do well enough on our own."

"Do you?" Alec said raising his eyebrows, "That's a surprise to me, I have provided several teams of the Minutemen to help bolster and repel attacks on your walls. We have also secured your trade routes. Diamond City also makes a lot of deals with Bunker Hill does it not? So how is it you do so well on your own? If it wasn't for my Minutemen your city would not be as prosperous as it is today."

"Is this a shakedown." McDonough demanded, "are you threatening to withdraw the support you provide under the banner of the minutemen. If the super mutants attack our walls again…"

"Should you call the minutemen then you will of course receive our aid." Alec stated firmly, "We serve the Commonwealth, we do not serve you and I do not take orders from you either. Diamond City has not contributed or donated anything to the minutemen despite the aid we have provided."

"You asked for nothing." McDonough refuted, "You are not mercenaries."

"No, we are not." Alec agreed, "We are a militia born of the settlements of the Commonwealth and operate through donations from those settlements. The Minutemen works due to mutual defence agreements between settlements. I want the same for all of the Commonwealth, this is something we can all build together."

"The answer is still no." McDonough stated, "This is not something the people want."

"How would you know?" Alec demanded, "You have not spoken to them, you only found out about this when I arrived. I would remind you that you serve at the pleasure of the people you claim to represent."

"I speak for the people of Diamond City."

"Fine." Alec said in fake disappointment to disguise his anger. "It is a shame that Diamond City will not take its rightful seat on a council to discuss the future of the Commonwealth. It will mean that Diamond City and its people have no say in that future and will not benefit from any agreement that is made and by extension will have to learn to truly stand on its own without any support."

"Do not think you can bully me Carter."

"I have no need to bully you." Alec smile dangerously, "The Institute, the organisation that everyone fears is willing to come to the table and become part of a greater whole. Vault 81, who have lived in isolation for two centuries has also added their support. Sanctuary Hills while new is the most prosperous settlement in the north and its influence and economy is growing rapidly, it too will send a representative."

"Only one of those names matters." McDonough said dismissively.

"That is where your wrong." Alec said tersely, "Every settlement matters. Now once our meeting is concluded I will be travelling on to Goodneighbour and I am very confident that they will attend this meeting of settlements. I am sure your brother will enjoy proving that a town of degenerates is more important that this city. Once done there I will be going to Bunker Hill, the trading hub of the Commonwealth they will join to maintain their position no doubt, but all of them will have a say in the future, and all of them will impact this city."

McDonough was about to respond but Alec spoke over him.

"I said earlier that the Institute fully endorses my proposal, if I am successful, I will be bridging the gap between them and the rest of the commonwealth and will stop the fear that they have generated for on near a century." Alec said glaring at the Synth and trying to appeal to his programming without revealing he knew the truth. "I would also warn you Mr Mayor that when word reaches your people that you have turned away from this opportunity in their name and their livelihood becomes threatened you will have a hell of a lot to answer to. Public opinion is a fickle thing after all."

McDonough looked uneasy now and he looked to Geneva for support, but she just looked at him blankly. She had no doubt realised that it would not do well to join his viewpoint or get her name associated with what the Mayor was trying not to agree to.

"Fine, I will attend your meeting." McDonough said finally, "But that does not mean you have my support for your vision."

"Good." Alec said standing up now ready to leave this office and get a stiff drink at the Dugout, "Now I will notify you with the time and location and will provide an escort. So, you are aware this will make the Paper, so the people will know what you have agreed to so do not think you can pull out now."

McDonough spluttered indignantly.

"You wouldn't want to try and silence this story." Alec warned darkly before moving on to a small item of business that would need to be planned for. "You are only required for the initial meeting if you sign on, after that you can appoint a representative. My suggestion would be to bring Geneva she has worked with you for a number of years and she knows everything about the city."

Without further delay Alec marched out of the office to leave the Mayor and his deputy to discuss everything. Taking the lift down to the ground was slow but it gave Alec a moment to breathe and relax and all he could think to himself was that he hated this city.

Getting two noodle cups from Takahashi, Alec navigated the busy marketplace of Diamond City and made his way around the corner to the Dugout Inn where he found Piper sitting with a bottle of Gwinnett Larger and opposite her sat Diamond City's famous detective.

"Nick." Alec said surprised as he put the cups down, "I didn't know you were joining us."

"I crossed paths with Piper on my way to the office, she said you two were having dinner and you had a story to tell," Nick shrugged, "I only got here today myself. A lot has happened since you left Sanctuary Hills."

"Isn't that the truth." Alec said darkly and took a large gulp of beer and looked at it regretfully, it was warm. "So, where do you want to start?"

It took almost two hours for Alec to tell his friends everything that had happened, he intentionally left out that he was now the Director of the Institute but instead said he had become allied with them thanks to his son.

Nick shook his head.

"I knew their arrival would be dangerous for the Commonwealth, I told you that when we left Hagen all those years ago." Nick reminded Alec. "When you said you did some freelance work for them a couple of years ago. I warned you about them Alec."

"I know Nick." Alec sighed, he wondered whether he should have helped Danse, if he hadn't then perhaps everything that had happened could have been avoided. "Despite that, this does present a remarkable moment for the Commonwealth, we have a common enemy."

"An enemy that will return." Piper pointed out, "You say Elder Maxson was not found?"

"No, he managed to escape the Airport, he was injured but he did get away." Alec admitted, "I do not doubt that they will return once again to the Commonwealth, but before they do there is a lot of work that needs to be done."

Nick lit up a cigarette and it lit up his face in an amber glow and his glowing eyes pierced Alec directly.

"You want to establish another Commonwealth Provisional Government." Nick said, "uniting the Commonwealth to face this threat."

"A CPG?" Piper blinked in surprise, "Is that possible? After the last one was massacred."

"No one knows what happened back then." Alec countered, "I have heard several accounts of what happened and all of them differ."

"True it was a mess." Nick said stroking his metal cheek, "The Minutemen of the time were not able to keep the CPG alive, but then their General was not Alec here."

"Do you think you can do this Alec?" Piper asked, "can you get people to come to an agreement?"

"I can only try." Alec shrugged, "The Institute, Vault 81, Diamond City and Sanctuary Hills have all agreed to attend this meeting."

"Sanctuary Hills?" Piper questioned, "They are not a major player."

"No." Alec admitted, "However Sanctuary is growing, it is a northern stronghold for the minutemen, and its economy is growing, as too is its population. We also have alliances with the settlements close by. However, having Sanctuary attend is to show other smaller settlements what they can hope to achieve."

"Also gives you a legitimate reason to sit on the council if it is created." Nick pointed out, "You are practically the Mayor of the settlement after all."

"True, but I will not be representing Sanctuary for long, I was never elected to the position so I will need the people to elect who they want to represent them once it is all agreed." Alec explained, "I am mindful of the positions that I hold, I have no desire to become a dictator, I want to guide and build up the Commonwealth, not rule it."

"That might be you wish but I doubt you will be allowed to step aside, if you are successful you might become our new Washington." Nick cautioned, "but we will hold you to word of not being a dictator Alec."

"Thanks." Alec sighed and he rubbed his eyes.

"What does this mean for the Institute?" Piper asked with interest.

"That all depends on what happens at the meeting." Alec said carefully, "I want them to be a part of the Commonwealth, actively helping shape it and to bring about a new age through technology and innovation. They are the brains, the rest of the Commonwealth can provide the brawn, and in time the two will meet in the middle."

"What will you do about the Brotherhood?" Piper asked, "You know they will only lick their wounds for so long."

"My Minutemen and the Institute have tracked them as far as we can, but as things stand I do not have the network of spies and intelligence that the Commonwealth needs to remain properly informed." Alec admitted ruefully, "More than that I need to know what happened to Maxson, I want to ensure he is not still within the Commonwealth and we need to find any Brotherhood spies and remove them too."

"A tall order." Nick contemplated, "Where did you last see Arthur Maxson?"

"The Airport." Alec said simply remembering his failure to remove the head of the snake distracted by the monstrous robot, "However I heard a report of a Vertibird sighting in Malden."

Nick considered that carefully, "well that is the start of a journey plotted. I will start at the airport and head out towards Malden."

"What?" Alec asked confused by the robot detective.

"You need answers Alec, and I am a detective. You have been my partner on my investigations over the last two years, I will repay you the favour. We need to know what happened to Maxson, unless we find him the Commonwealth is in danger." Nick said and he pulled out a notepad and made some notes.

"If you go by the Airport you will encounter Synths, tell them that General Alec Carter give you permission to access the site to track down Arthur Maxson." Alec told him, and he realised he would need to go to the Institute rather than Goodneighbour. "You have nothing to fear from the Institute Nick, they will not harm you."

"I will take your word on that." Nick said with a sharp gaze at Alec.

"Piper you have your story about the Brotherhood, I want you to publish it as soon as possible. As to the meeting of the leaders of various settlements, I want you only to state that Mayor McDonough has agreed to a meeting with the leaders of various settlements to discuss the future of the Commonwealth and its ongoing security. Nothing more. If an agreement is made, then of course you can publish the rest."

"Sure thing." Piper said pocketing her own notes, "I will make sure to get this story to Travis, so it gets out across the Commonwealth over the radio and to make sure that the truth is out there."

"You might want to consider asking the Bunker Hill Caravans to send out your paper across the Commonwealth." Alec told her, "Send out a paper to as many settlements as you can, send it for free as a test, and ask the traders to get subscriptions. Expanding the papers clientele and reach will do you some good. Diamond City doesn't have the monopoly on the news after all."

Piper quickly left the Dugout Inn, no doubt to get the article written that night to start printing immediately, poor Nat would probably have a late night to help her. Nick bade his own goodbyes and made his way to the Agency to check in before he headed out.

With a final sip of his warm beer Alec left the Dugout Inn and returned the bowls to the noodle bar and entered Homeplate. It was practically barren, having sold and recycled most of the materials inside when he bought the place, however it did have a bed that Alec considered using.

But he signed resigned to the fact that he had to get to the Institute to brief the Airport teams.

With a click of a button he sent up the beacon.

**o-FALLOUT-o**

The Institute was fairly busy when Alec had arrived, he didn't have much time to spare but moved down into the SRB and met briefly with Dr Ayo regarding the deployment of X6-88.

"Where do you want it deployed?" Dr Ayo asked surprised, "You have never requisitioned a courser before."

"Boston Airport." Alec directed, "it is not going to be part of the security at the airport, instead it will act as a bodyguard to Nick Valentine."

"The prototype?" Dr Ayo said shocked but there was a small amount of disdain in his voice. "Why would we protect redundant technology, we should be reclaiming him."

"I told you that is out of the question." Alec reminded the Justin sternly, "Nick is a staple part of the Commonwealth. He has volunteered to investigate Arthur Maxson's disappearance, he will be granted access to the airport and X6-88 will provide an escort thereafter as part of the same investigation. Nick is a good shot but not built for combat."

"Unorthodox." Dr Ayo contemplated but followed his order, "But nonetheless workable, it will be done Director."

"Good." Alec said and he turned to leave but turned back to discuss one more item of business.

Once done in SRB Alec spent several hours checking in with the departments to make sure they were working well and was pleased by what he had seen, however he wondered if he could bring some new blood into the Institute, he had three candidates in mind.

Walking into Robotics, Alec met with Dr Alan Binet.

"Dr how is the design for the next generation of Synths progressing." Alec asked looking over his worktable.

"Good to see you Director." Binet replied and he showed him the design specifications, "I was hoping to show you these at the next meeting of the directorate, but I can show you now. I believe this should make a Synth easily recognisable don't you think?"

Alec looked over the written brief and specifications with an open mind and wondered if it would be enough. "Change that colour from the green you have listed to… Amber, I would also make them glow slightly in the dark if possible."

"Whatever for?" Binet asked bewildered.

"To ensure that they cannot hide." Alec pointed out, "We want to eliminate fear, and this is one way of doing it. Now your other ideas have merit, however I would suggest these markings are moved from there to here. Also, you are to ensure that these markings cannot be removed or inked over."

"Of course." Binet said nodding and making some notes from himself, "these changes are minor so it will not take much to begin production."

"Good." Alec acknowledged, "Once done you are to immediately begin with the construction of the Institute representative. Male or female do you think?"

"We usually start the production with both a male and female synth." Binet explained, "The Adam and Eve of each Synthetic Generation."

"Such as Adam Carter?" Alec asked thinking back to the stories of Diamond City's Broken Mask Incident.

Binet looked awkward at his question.

"Why did the Synth have my last name?"

"In a way all of the Synth are your descendants, they were created from Shaun's DNA which came from you and your wife." Binet said quickly and he gulped at his brief mention of Kate. "Adam Carter was one of the earliest successful Gen Three Synths created by Dr Zach Walter. He was the one to give the synth your family name, I cannot say more beyond that but he was sent out into the Commonwealth to see how he could integrate himself and if the surface dwellers would notice."

So that was doctor who brought about the events that had Kellogg infiltrate Vault 111 and ended with a bullet killing Kate. Alec wondered at the morality of that Doctor and wondered what the Institute Directorate was like back then, how different was it to the Institute that Shaun had controlled?

"I understand." Alec said slowly trying to overcome his wish to scream at the fate of his family. "You will need to ensure that these new synths hardware meets my directive and will be fully functional. Next, we need to ensure that they have suitable programming and personalities. They will be ambassadors and negotiators, which requires patience and problem-solving abilities but cannot prejudice the Institutes security. I imagine that might be the hardest thing to accomplish?"

"Yes, Alana and I are working on that." Binet promised, "we are developing a new neural-matrix which we believe will deliver everything we need of a representative. It is a work in progress."

"Good. I will leave it in your hands. However, my only other request is when it comes to deploy our representative do not outfit them in a cleanroom suit." Alec suggested, "We want to show that Adam or Eve are obviously synthetic and are not hiding their physiology behind a mask which the Institute has done for decades, this is a new era for the Institute after all."

"As you say." Binet nodded, "I will look to requisition the materials."

Alec was happy with the progress and was going to leave to have a shower and sleep in his quarters, but a new thought occurred to him.

"I wonder. Is it possible to transfer a synth mind from one body to another?" He asked, "For example X6-88 if he became too damaged to be repaired could we transfer his mind, memories and experiences into a newer body?"

Binet considered his question for a moment but nodded.

"I think it should be possible. We have some old technology in storage from old projects that would work I believe. So long as a synth has suffered no damage to its synthetic brain, transferring a damaged neutral matrix can results in catastrophic malfunctions in the programming." Binet explained, "I would imagine you will want some Synths to be…. upgraded… to our new generation of units?"

"If possible." Alec agreed, "Some synths are well established within the Commonwealth, if possible, I would like to recall them and transfer them to the new design and hopefully reintegrated back into their lives. Take the singer Magnolia, I am hoping that she could resume her musical career and the people would accept her as a synth and not be afraid."

"I do not disagree with you Director." Binet said carefully considering his words, "However some of our synths are part of a blind study we conducted years ago. They were placed into the world without knowledge that they were Synths."

"Like Paladin Danse." Alec stated disapprovingly.

"He was one such subject." Binet admitted.

"How did you replace him?" Alec asked, "I assume there was a real Danse somewhere?"

Binet frowned at the question and took a moment to compose an answer which made Alec suspicious, he would need to delve into the Institutes records to fact check what he said.

"We had been tracking the Brotherhood of Steels Recon team for some time, we were watching them from afar hoping that they would leave the Commonwealth as the original team had done so in 2280." Binet explained, "The Recon team was attacked by a pack of super mutants and the Paladin was separated from his squad and was injured. Father saw an opportunity and so we brought here."

"The Paladin was thoroughly scanned; we made a synthetic copy of his body which match any records the Brotherhood might have. The hardest part is creating a copy of the subject's psyche, we must scan and map out their memories and personality to be overlaid onto a Synth Neural Matrix. The Paladin was unaware of that it was synthetic, and we made sure to remove its memories of its time in the Institute or what intelligence that it provided us before we redeployed it back into the Commonwealth."

"What happened to the real Danse." Alec asked, fearing the answer.

The look Binet gave him was the answer Alec knew was coming but it gave him chills to find out how cold Shaun had been, it was completely immoral.

"How did you deploy the asset?"

"We have several protocols. But for the Paladin he had been injured so we used that as an excuse." Binet said happier to return to a more comfortable conversation point, "We transported the asset to the surface, deactivated, and left it where we knew the Brotherhood Recon team would eventually find it. It would be reactivated when its name was called and would then resume the life of Danse."

"I see." Alec said quietly, how could Shaun have ever been a part of this, surely, he understood that this was wrong? Was he wrong to have kept the Institute standing, was Maxson actually correct and the Institute a cancer of the Commonwealth?

**o-FALLOUT-o**

Goodneighbour was the second largest town within the Commonwealth. Originally founded by exiled criminals from Diamond City in 2240, and fully established by the ghouls who had been driven out of Diamond City in 2282. It was one of only two settlements that happily accepted ghoul residents into its walls without any restrictions.

However, what the town was most well-known for was being a town of gangsters, chem dealers, prostitution, thieves and mercenaries. It was a lively place where you could be whoever you wanted to be without much fear of judgement.

Alec had visited the town on numerous occasions as he looked for signs of his son but had also done a lot of work out of the town for several months as he needed funds for his continued search. He was also partial to the Silver Shroud Radio broadcasts and it amused him that a phantom vigilante had begun to take down several criminal enterprises acting out of Goodneighbour.

Stepping through the towns front gate Alec made his way directly to the Old State House but gave a wave to Daisy in her store, the ghoul liked to talk about the old days with him however he still hadn't worked out her past.

Alec knocked on the door to the Old State House and the door was opened by one of the guards and he stepped inside but as he did, he heard a loud jovial voice from above him.

"Well now! Look who steps through my front door!" Came the voice, he looked up to see the Mayor John Hancock looking down at him with a smile on his scarred ghoulish face. "If I had known that our General Carter was coming, I would have sent out the welcoming committee! Here stands the Bane of the Brotherhood of Steel! General, come on now take a bow!"

Alec rolled his eyes but smiled at Hancock's antics and waved him off with a snort and walked up the spiral staircase. The Mayor of Goodneighbour was in his office leisurely lounging on a couch and pouring out two healthy measures of hard liquor from a crystal decanter into glasses.

"See I told you Fahrenheit, this is the General of the Commonwealth Minutemen, he who destroyed our resident Brotherhood Chapter and brought down their iron castle in the sky." Hancock said happily, "Do you think him capable now? Or do you still think him a common wastelander?"

"Perhaps he is just as capable as you said John." The redhead said and eyed up Alec, "I thought the boss here was full crap when he spoke about what the two of you got up to and what you can do in a fight."

Alec laughed quietly and took the offered seat and glared at Hancock, "Well Hancock does like to tell a tall tale and embellish a story or two. But there is usually a nugget of truth if you know where to look."

"Hey now, don't be talking about me as if I aint here." Hancock protested.

Fahrenheit shook her head and stepped back against the wall returning to her spot as the Mayors bodyguard.

"What you are doing here Alec?" Hancock asked taking a deep sip of the amber liquid in his glass, "What can our little corner of the Commonwealth do for you?"

"I am arranging a meeting between the various leaders of settlements across the Commonwealth." Alec explained, "It is my hope that we can establish the start of a cooperative government and I want to offer Goodneighbour a seat on the council."

Hancock looked at Alec over the rim of his glass, his ghoulish face making him hard for Alec to read.

"Well now, who would think that our little backwater town of the downtrodden would be welcomed on such a council." Hancock contemplated sarcastically, "But why do this now? We have not had a central government for a long time. It has worked well enough since the Great War."

Alec gave him a hard look, "it has worked so well that your people were ousted from Diamond City just because they were ghouls. It has worked so well that the people in the Commonwealth live in fear of the Institute and being replaced by synths. How each settlement must break their backs to make a life for themselves and to protect their families from super mutants and raiders and other such things that haunt our country."

"Just so." Hancock smirked, "Why change the Status Quo?"

"Because the time is ripe for the Commonwealth to come together and be reborn." Alec told him, "You say I destroyed the Brotherhood of Steel, however that is wrong. I only defeated them in a single battle. Our fight with the Brotherhood is not over, they are still a threat to all the Commonwealth. I only defeated them because I had the element of surprise and the daring to get the job done."

"So, you wish to unite the Commonwealth to ensure that we can protect ourselves?" Hancock proved, "Are you not already doing this under the banner of the Minutemen?"

"No." Alec said honestly, "At the moment the Commonwealth has a scattering of settlements, each independent of the other. The Minutemen protect all the Commonwealth and draw support from the settlements but that is voluntary. Each settlement looks out for itself and no one is looking to build for the future, the Commonwealth people live only to survive. I want them to live to thrive."

Hancock nodded and sighed and looked out the window thinking. "I agree with your view in principle Alec, it is a lofty goal and one that ideally would uplift the Commonwealth. But how would this work?"

"If I am successful, I will build a council of representatives and bind it under a written agreement." Alec explained as best he could but without the agreement it was all theoretical, "It will officially grant authority, power and independence to each signatory settlement. The council will then begin to decide the future for the Commonwealth together and help it prosper."

"Who will represent the people?" Hancock asked sitting forward and putting the drink down but didn't pour himself another.

"Whoever the people appoint to represent them." Alec answered, "For now it will have to be the leaders of the communities, however in the future it will be put to a vote."

"So, a Council of the people, by the people, for the people." Hancock said smiling widely, "aint that what I have been telling people is so good about Goodneighbour for all these years?"

"Yes." Alec laughed but grew sombre, "I hope you will support me in this venture John. But you should know that eventually this will mean you can't just knife people you disagree with."

"If this works, the way of life of my people will eventually change." Hancock acknowledged, "We are a den for gangsters and chem pushers, I imagine the Council will look to change that."

"You forget murderers and assassins too." Alec added to his list, "But yes eventually certain activities might be labelled criminal and outlawed, but we are a long way from that. Truthfully our first agenda will be removing several threats from the Commonwealth, like Raiders, Super Mutants and the Forged."

"I will come to this meeting, beyond that I cannot say as it will depend on this agreement." Hancock vowed. "I will not support any motions that will harm Goodneighbour, people have livelihoods that I have to protect. If you wish to curtail my towns economy, then you will have to ensure that there are new opportunities for my people to make their living."

Alec nodded, he understood that Hancock might fly loose with his own type of justice, but he did serve at the pleasure of the people and he had to keep them in line and under his control.

"Good." Alec said finally and he took a sip of the drink which was surprisingly good. "Vault 81, Diamond City, Sanctuary Hills and the Institute have already agreed to join this venture."

Hancock gaped at him and behind him his bodyguard gasped aloud.

"Fahrenheit, go and patrol the streets."

The red head mercenary didn't move from her post but was eyeing Alec warily now.

"Boss, I don't think that is…" She began to say but was cut off quickly.

"Exactly." Hancock said in a stern uncompromising voice, "You are not here to think you are here to do as I say. Now patrol the streets."

"Yes Boss." She said dutifully and she closed the door to his office behind her and they heard her walk downstairs.

Silence filled the office as Hancock just stared at Alec as though he was trying to fathom something out, what Alec didn't know but he knew that Hancock was gearing up for an argument.

"You have invited the Institute to this meeting!" He demanded angrily.

"Yes." Alec said simply, "I want all of the biggest and most influential settlements to attend. One of the first points of order I will address is to ensure that each settlement is granted its autonomy and freedom from interference of other settlements."

Hancock snorted and eyed Alec now, "We have travelled over the Commonwealth together, I have seen you do so remarkably risky things, but this is probably the riskiest endeavours you have taken on! And I was there at Trinity Tower!"

"It is not a risk." Alec stated firmly, "This is what is necessary to ensure that the Commonwealth rises from the ashes of the Great War. The Institute is a necessary evil, but controllable."

Hancock laughed and shook his head in disbelief, "You think you can control those people! What is to stop them from replacing all of us and governing the Commonwealth themselves?"

"I would stop them." Alec vowed, "However by joining the council the Institute activities would be curtailed, in fact their power would be contained by the council members, after all they can be outvoted. The more council members the less power the Institute holds."

Hancock didn't look convinced, but he at least looked intrigued by the prospect.

"I have already ensured that the Institute practice of replacing people with Synths is over." Alec told him, "Those days are over, you might see Institute Synths operating on the surface, but they will be doing so openly. If the Institute wants to interact with Goodneighbour it will do so in full view and transparently."

"I will not forget what they have done."

Alec nodded silently wondering how the hell he was going to deal with the issue that his brother was in fact a synth replacement.

"No one expects you to." Alec said slowly and pressed a final point, "The Institute needs to prove that it has changed, this is how it will do it. No longer will they hide in the shadows, they will be working hand in hand with the rest of the Commonwealth towards a common goal and for mutual interests."

"Fine." Hancock said grimly, "I will come to this meeting of yours but make no mistake, I do not like that I will be touching elbows with the Institute."

"I can work with that." Alec told him happy to have him on board, "I will let you know where the meeting will take place and when. I should however warn you Hancock that after this meeting everything will change no matter if an agreement is made or not."

Hancock got to his feet and poured himself another drink and considered Alec now and something must have shown on his face as he downed the drink in one and poured himself another.

"Go Alec." He said resigned, "I need to think, and I have a stash of Chems that are calling out to me, I need some me time."

Recognising the dismissal Alec quickly left the Old State House happy to have Hancock join him but now Alec was rethinking a part of his plan and the impact it would have on the attendees. Should he do it knowing the emotional response that it would have, would it sabotage his efforts?

**O-FALLOUT-O**

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**O-FALLOUT-O**

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**O-FALLOUT-O**


	5. Chapter 5

Fallout 4: The Rise of the M.C.R

**Chapter Five**

**The Delegation**

The last place Alec had travelled to, was a place where he had first started days before, he crossed over the Charles River and through the debris of Boston until he reached Bunker Hill. Its historic monument reaching up to the sky like a needle.

When he had purchased the supplies for Vault 81 he had wanted to speak with Mayor Kessler but she had left the trading hub on business and Old Man Stockton had been less than helpful and couldn't tell Alec when she would return so instead he had made Vault 81 his first stop.

On his return to Bunker Hill he was glad to see that Mayor Kessler was back and was in the market giving a stern lecture to two caravaners that Alec hadn't seen before but on seeing Alec arrive she indicated for Stockton to take over.

The new traders were apparently were not of the Bunker Hill and were encroaching on Bunker Hills trade routes and had even passed themselves off as operating out of the Hill in order to do business. Alec offered to intervene, but she had declined the offer and stated it was Bunker Hill business.

He sat down with Kessler and explained his proposal and offered her the invitation for Bunker Hill to join a Council should it be established. It was a shock for Alec when she readily agreed to attend the meeting without Alec having to twist her arm or convince her.

Kessler had laughed when he asked why she was so amenable.

"I am the mayor of Bunker Hill, I represent the joint interests of all our traders. Bunker Hill is the trading hub for all the Commonwealth, should you be successful and establish this council we must be represented, both to serve our interests but also the interest of the commonwealth." She explained, "I cannot have a council undermining our trade, so we must have a say don't you think?"

Alec had not known what to say in response to her, he had known the traders of Bunker Hill to be shrewd in their business dealings, but Kessler was a shark. He had left Bunker Hill wondering if inviting the traders to join them had been a smart move but thought they would be necessary in the future.

With the invitations given to the various settlements he would need, Alec needed to find a place to host the meeting between the invitees, something Alec had neglected to think about while trying to get them to agree to come.

However, it turned out that selecting the right place was a very difficult endeavour and it had taken him some time to make the decision.

Originally, he had considered hosting the meeting at The Castle. It was after all the Minutemen who had begun to unify the Commonwealth under their flag that was paving the way for the meeting. However, on reflection Alec had decided against it. The Castle was too militaristic, it wouldn't send the correct message and comparisons could be drawn between the minutemen and BOS.

He came to realise that he wanted the location to be somewhere neutral, so not as to afford any one faction or settlement an apparent position of power. Alec wanted the meeting to bring them all to the table as equals, not having them vying for more control and fracturing immediately.

Of course, another factor to consider was the security of the representatives, wherever they came together would need to be secure and defendable. Alec knew the risks involved with his idea and had to ensure the meeting was protected to ensure his idea bore fruits of his labour.

With that in mind Alec settled on using use Vault 88.

When Alec had assumed the position of Overseer, he had supplanted Valery Barstow of the position she had held for two centuries, to placate her he had appointed her as Vault Administrator. This position allowed her to continue to oversee the Vaults daily operations, but left Alec in charge of the direction of the Vaults agenda and allowed Alec the freedom to continue his work on the surface.

In a way Vault 88 was a massive time capsule. It was entirely Pre-War and pristinely preserved and untouched by the ravages of two centuries of use like what had happened to Vault 81.

Prior to the end of the Great War, the Vault construction was almost complete. Vault-Tec had sent the numerous supplies to the vault, almost all of which had been stored away. The last deliveries of supplies had been furniture and other amenities that would require installation to get the vault ready for applicants in case of Nuclear Fallout.

Barstow had been giving a briefing to the small work crew to begin the installation of the cafeteria and completion of the Water Purification Plants light monorail when the Vault Alarm sounded.

Detecting the nuclear detonation, the Vault Mainframe enacted its emergency safeguard protocols and sealed off the Vault from the outside. It was too slow however and a wave of radiation had managed to pass through the closing gear door had flooded all the way into the Atrium.

Once the vault was sealed, the filtration systems activated and purged the residual radiation from the Vault, but the radiation had already damaged the few people who had been inside the Vault and the mutation began.

Fast forward two hundred years and the Vault remained untouched and sealed off from the surface however its existence was no longer a secret and a Raider gang had tried to breach the Vault Door. Detecting the attempted breaches, the Vault Mainframe sent out an automated distress beacon.

The beacon had been picked up by Alecs PipBoy and he had then investigated with a contingent of Minutemen and they had driven out the Raider gang from the Quincy Quarry and Alec had opened the Vault door and ventured within.

It had not been an easy transition of power within Vault 88. Barstow been adamant that she would leave and seek out the other Vaults and offer them her assistance. However, Alec managed to convince her to stay as her various prototypes were working and they needed to ensure they continued to benefit the lives of the residents and they would need to continue to innovate and improve Vault technology.

For the last two weeks Vault 88 had been filled with activity, when they received word that the Overseer had invited the leaders of the Commonwealth to the Vault it had caused a great stir. Administrator Barstow had immediately stepped up all the work schedules to get the Vault ready to receive its guests.

The work on the vault had been progressing very well but with such a short deadline Alec had requisitioned some of the redundant Gen II synths from Institute storage to work as maintenance drones within Vault 88.

Dressed in new Vault-Tec Jumpsuits and flat-caps Alec had been able to pass them off as an automated Vault maintenance system that he had discovered while touring the Commonwealth so as not to alarm the resident Dwellers.

Alec sat in the large overseers' quarters, they had once been Barstows and Alec often wondered how she managed to incorporate this into the Vaults design, it was extravagant. However, the office overlooked the Atrium and below the residents and drones were making everything more welcoming with a final mop of the floor, while others watered the potted plants or straightened the Atriums decorations.

None of the window dressing mattered to Alec, he left that aspect of Vault 88 to Barstow and sure enough she was walking around the Atrium inspecting the work and barking orders.

Instead, Alec was looking over the piles of notes and had a large pile of books on his desk. Some were his own ideas about the meeting and what he would propose, others contained research he had done with the aid of books from the Vault, the remnants of Boston Library and the Institutes collection.

The piles of dirty paper contained the reports that Preston has sent to him on the current status of the Minutemen and the settlements that fell under their protection. All of which required his attention daily, and he was issuing his orders by runner and radio.

A low chime interrupted his reading and he pressed the button on his desk that opened the office door and Clem stood holding a large cup of coffee.

"A cup of coffee Overseer." He said cheerfully, "Freshly brewed!" He walked over and placed it on Alec's desk he looked at the documents on his desk and frowned, Alec knew he couldn't read, and it was something he would need to learn. "Do you need anything else?"

"Not right now." Alec sighed pinching the bridge of his nose, he was tired and could do with a nap before everything began, but he had to be sure to be ready. "Can you make sure that the library and study area is all set up please."

"Already done Overseer." Clem replied happily, "I saw the Drones dusting in their earlier."

"Very good, can you send administrator Barstow up here please." Alec asked, and Clem eagerly left and not ten minutes later she arrived in her usual sour mood.

"Overseer." She said in greeting before sitting down on one of his chairs.

"Administrator." Alec said in greeting and he put the reports away knowing that she could read. "How are the preparations coming along, our guests should start to arrive soon."

"Chief MacCready has set himself up in Andersons old office, he will have the security division ready within the hour, he is establishing the patrols and guard posts." She reported, "The rooms have also been prepared for the leaders and their assistants. I have taken the liberty of ensuring they had writing materials also, if this is to go as you believe I am sure they will have notes to make."

"Good." Alec said nodding, "How is the kitchen faring?"

"Well enough, Hydroponics is finally up and running so we can start to grow our own food. I imagine some of it hasn't been seen in the Commonwealth in some time." She explained, "the cook is looking forward to trying a few recipes from the Vault-Tec cookbook."

Alec nodded, he enjoyed eating in Vault 88 when he could, they had stores of food and supplies he hadn't seen since the before the Great War.

"The Drones are now preparing the meeting room." She added, "We do need to discuss the decontamination protocols however."

"We will follow the same protocols we used for all of the other residents." Alec told her, "We will supply them with laundered clothing while they are here, so no vault suits are needed. Only one of the leaders is a ghoul like yourself, but I am sure you can help him with his decontamination cycle?"

"Yes Overseer." She said diligently, being a ghoul herself she knew how to care for what little skin she had left. "Is there anything else?"

"No." Alec dismissed, "I trust that you have anything else well in hand."

She left him then without a backwards glance.

Their relationship was strained to say the least, but he trusted her enough to get on with her job and not to tank the meeting.

Taking a sip of the cool coffee Alec carried on working on his papers and signed some more orders before finally putting them in order. He was halfway done when the phone on his desk rang.

"Carter." He said picking it up, something that had nearly gave him a heart attack when it had first happened three days prior having forgotten the sound a working phone made. The Drones having installed and turned on the internal communication network.

"Boss, they have started to arrive." MacCready reported over the phone although Alec wondered if he had mastered how to hold it correctly yet.

"Open the door and let them in." Alec ordered, "The Minutemen are guarding the surface of the quarry and the outside turrets and guards are protecting the cave entrance. Keep your men in the gear door room and send them through into decom."

"This is your last chance to back out boss." MacCready said in a lower voice, "you can always turn them away."

Alec laughed, he wished he could. "No, when this is over, we will have worked out some type of agreement, I just hope I don't have to shoot anyone!"

**o-Fallout-o**

The representatives didn't all arrive at the same time, but the Minutemen escorts got them all there within an hour window. The decontamination protocols of Vault 88 had to be followed by all the guests and they had caused a few grumbles.

However, the grumbles ended when MacCready explained that if they didn't go through the procedures they would be returned to the surface and would need to return home and they would have no part future that General Carter wished to bring into the Commonwealth.

Decontamination took between thirty minutes to an hour per individual. They then had to undergo a brief orientation. All personal belongings were stored safely in holding, which caused more outrage, but it was a safety stipulation to avoid concealed weapons and that stopped all but a few further grumbles.

Finally they were each given a brief tour of the Vault and what they could access before being shown to their rooms so that they could freshen up if they so choose and were told to be in the conference room in thirty minutes.

Alec was in his quarters, having showered and was deciding whether to wear the Vault 88 Vault suit or a clean black suit but ended up choosing the black business suit, he was just tying his tie when the door chime went off.

Quickly finishing the knot, he walked out of his quarters and into the office and pressed the button on his desk.

"Blue!" Came the excited voice of the Commonwealths only newspaper editor and she looked around the room with keen interest having never been inside Vault 88 before. "Nice digs, very fancy."

"Piper." Alec smiled gesturing for her to come in, "I hope that you are here to report of our success, rather than failure."

Piper frowned, "If your involved Blue I imagine it will be a success. Are you going to give me a tip on what will be agreed?"

"We shall see." Alec said vaguely picking up his notebook filled with all his notes for the upcoming meeting. "Did you come in with Mayor McDonough?"

"No." Piper replied rolling her eyes at his dodging the question, "I came here with the Goodneighbour contingent."

"What you doing out that neck of the woods?" Alec asked with interest, "New story?"

"The Silver Shroud." Piper said waving her hand dismissively, "I was investigating the apparent sightings, people believe that the Shroud has driven back the Triggermen and they have withdrawn to parts unknown."

Alec kept his face neutral; he knew she was fishing even now for her story.

"What do you mean the Triggerman have retreated to parts unknown?" Alec asked without having to feign interest, "I haven't heard anything about them for a while. They have avoided all confrontations with the minutemen."

"Well that's what I was investigating." She said smiling as she was hooked on her every word, "They probably fear that you will come down on them with the force of an atomic bomb and dismantle their organisation entirely. If you want to know more, I am sure you could ask the Shroud…"

"Do you believe the stories?" Alec said sounding dismissive, "I thought it sounded farfetched that someone would done trench coat and pretend to be a comic book character to fight the crime in Boston. More likely this is the work of a rival gang surely?"

"I have no proof…yet." Piper said sounding annoyed, "I tried speaking to Kent Connolly but he just said the Shroud does what the Shroud does, and Hancock merely smirked and refused to speak about the Shroud and had his bodyguard escort me out of the State House. I wont stop until I get to the bottom of it."

A sense of relief went through Alec, he was glad that Piper hadn't found a connection between him and the Shroud. The persona had served him well on several occasions after all and he was sure it would in the future. It occurred to him now that the Shroud could be discovered through Hancock or Kent, he would need to fix that somehow.

Before Alec could comment further on her investigation the phone on his desk rang and made Piper jump dramatically.

"What in the devil is that! It wails like a banshee!" She cried out.

"Its just a telephone." Alec told her smirking at her reaction, but it made him sad, the decay of the world since the Great War was so severe, could it be rebuilt? Or was that just his hubris. He then picked up the receiver, "Alec here."

"They are all assembling as you requested Overseer." Came the raspy voice of Valery Barstow.

"Good, I will be down shortly." Alec said and hung up. "Well Piper, I hate to cut this short but its time to get the show on the road."

Alec led her out of his office and closed the door and was happy to hear it lock behind them. He trusted Piper but he didn't want to test that trust. His office was filled with all manner of documents, notes and journals that contained information and secrets from all corners of the Commonwealth and regarding numerous factions.

No, it would not do well to tempt Piper with such a scoop.

The Atrium was filled with noise as the resident vault-dwellers went about their daily work, while they played host to the leadership of largest settlements from around the Commonwealth made things interesting for them.

For their resident vault dwellers since their entering Vault 88 they had mostly been working on getting the Vault fully up and running and getting everything correctly installed, unpacked or repaired.

The Conference Room had been set up by the Drone workers, the table had been fabricated by the Institute, it was circular and had the coat of arms of Massachusetts printed to the surface which Alec had thought was a nice touch.

Around the room stood the various leaders and their assistants, no one was speaking to each other which was hardly surprising as none of them had probably met before. Well except two opposing leaders who were supposed to be siblings.

"Good afternoon." Alec said as he stepped inside and the people within the room looked startled by his sudden appearance. He looked round the room and thought this was the first time they had all looked clean and presentable, well apart from Overseer McNamara. "Please, we should take our seats and get started."

Taking the closest seat Alec was glad to see that the various leaders followed his lead, their assistants sat around the outskirts ready to help with whatever was needed but were clearly not part of this negotiation.

"I first want to thank you for making this journey and being open to building the future of the Commonwealth." Alec said politely, "I trust you are all well rested, this will no doubt take a while. We should start with introductions of course, I am not sure if any of you have met previously. As you are all aware, I am Alec Carter, General of the Commonwealth Minutemen. However, I am here representing Sanctuary Hills to the north."

He then began to point around the table going anticlockwise:

"John Hancock of Goodneighbour, Freya Kessler of Bunker Hill, Gwen McNamara of Vault 81, Richard McDonough of Diamond City." He said nodding in respect to each of them in turn before he pointed to the seat next to him and all eyes were on the man now. "This is Adam Jefferson, representing the Institute."

"Synth!" Hancock spat in disgust.

He was not the only one who looked at Adam with suspicion and distrust. It amused Alec to see that the only one who looked comfortable was McDonough, since he was a self-aware synth it made sense of course.

Adam sat in his seat at ease not caring if he was stared at. He looked perfectly ordinary which is shot black hair, slim build and Caucasian complexion and of an average height. His eyes however were amber and glowed with a hint of artificial light.

That was a change that Alec had directed be implemented into the new generation of Synths, they resembled a newer version of the eyes that had been installed into Nick Valentine and DiMa. The Institute had outfitted their representative in black slacks, black collared shirt with a white jumper which bore the logo of the Institute.

Adam was the first of his generation along with his sister and Alec was pleased with the work of the Robotics Division. What the other representatives could not see, was that Adam had distinctive markings down its back, around its forearms and thighs that resembled barcodes.

"Yes." Alec said simply to the room at large but chuckled, "I am sure you are all shocked to see a synth out in the open so casually. Adam here is a representative of the Institute and is not trying to hide that fact, I am surprised you didn't notice his appearance before."

"Good afternoon." Adam said in a calm voice, "I am a biosynthetic-being who is here to represent the interest of the Institute. I was designed to ease tensions, the Institute has changed and we want to work with the Commonwealth for a better future. You have nothing to fear from us."

"Alec what is this?" John said suspiciously, "is this some type of trick?"

"Why the change? Will the Institute stop replacing people with duplicates?" Kessler asked before sitting back and listening to Old Man Stockton who was whispering into her ear. "What of the Synths you hunt?"

Adam held up a hand to stall the questions before they began a full tirade.

"I will begin with confirming that yes, the Institutes Synth Program has been suspended following a change in our leadership. The Institute is fully aware of the damage that it has caused to the Commonwealth, and that it will take many years to repair the damage and rebuild the trust between our peoples. No citizen of the Commonwealth has any reason to fear being abducted or of infiltrating synths."

"Honeyed words." John said sternly eyeing Adam suspiciously.

In that moment Alec was very happy to have insisted on the relinquishment of all weapons, he suspected that a knife would have been plunged into Adam by the Mayor of Goodneighbour.

"How can we trust you word given you decades of deception?"

"The Institute has already begun to recall our assets from across the Commonwealth." Adam explained calmly, ignoring the hostility filling the room. "Whether those that are self-aware or otherwise unaware of their synthetic nature. I offer proof that the Institute is coming out from the shadows, with your permission, Alec?

"Go ahead." Alec nodded and he tapped Hancock on the arm, "I am sorry John, but it is better to know the truth. If there was better way to prove his point, I would have taken it."

"What?" The ghoul said startled by Alec's touch and then saw the look on his face.

"M7-62 Deactivation Code. Alpha Green One Judas." Adam said calmly.

Next to him having heard his Synth designation, McDonough jumped to his feet realising what they were about to do but it was too late he suddenly stood upright before his body slumped forwards as he deactivated.

"What is this!" McNamara exclaimed, "Explain this Alec!"

Hancock sat staring at the being that until two moments ago he believed was his brother in shock.

"He was an Institute Synth." Adam said needlessly.

"That much is now perfectly obvious." Geneva stated looking at her former boss in horror. "Piper was right, he was a Synth. How could I not have known?"

"People!" Alec called loudly over the uproar.

"Are we all people here?" McNamara demanded, "are there any more synths in the room."

"Yes." Adam said simply, "I am synthetic."

"Adam you are not helping." Alec said sternly and he stood up and glared at everyone in the room, "Please! Everyone! Sit down and listen!"

"How do you expect us to trust him!" Kessler asked, "If they replaced a leader of Diamond City how can we know they won't do it again, they could control this entire council!"

"Had we wished to accomplish that Mayor Kessler, we would have continued with the charade and kept the Synth McDonough. It would have afforded us two votes should a council be established as Alec envisions." Adam stressed, "we have come in the spirit of honesty and cooperation, the Institute wants to work in partnership with you all."

"How long?" Hancock demanded glaring across Alec at the synth "When did you kill my brother?"

"Hancock…" Alec tried to intervene but stopped at the look he was given.

"I need to know Alec!" Hancock said hitting his fist on the table, "How long has my brother been dead!"

"Guy McDonough was found by the Institute in 2282 and was terminated at the same time." Adam admitted following a nod from Alec.

"It was you!" John snarled enraged. "You killed my brother; you were behind everything that happened. It was you who made this synth begin his campaign to become mayor. You ruined Diamond City!"

Adam looked at John remorsefully, "I apologise Mayor Hancock, this is distressing for you. However, it …"

"This has been a shocking revelation." Alec interjected quickly, it would make things worse to give John the truth behind his brothers assimilation. "Please let us take a short break, take a breath so we can come back to the table with calmer minds."

John upended his chair and stormed out of the room cursing black murder the entire way. The remaining delegates left the room with their assistants leaving Alec alone and he let out a deep sigh.

"Why the hell did I ever think I could bring these people together." He said, the ring on his finger caught his eye. "You could do this; I know you could hun."

**O-FALLOUT-O**

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**O-FALLOUT-O**

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**O-FALLOUT-O**


	6. Chapter 6

Fallout 4: The Rise of the M.C.R

**Chapter Six**

**A Negotiation**

The atmosphere of Vault 88 was charged with the news that the Diamond City Mayor was in fact a synth. The delegates had scattered to all corners of Vault 88, while they regrouped and processed the revelation.

For the resident Vault Dwellers, it was exciting and scandalous, and the vault was filled with gossip and intrigue. There was a lot of rumours about what the overseer was doing, but they were happy to help him in anyway he needed.

Their Overseer had not been seen since the meeting the commonwealth community leaders broke up following the exposure of the synth. It had been three hours since, and Overseer Carter had spent all that time locked away in his office.

Since the meetings end Alec had returned to his office and got back to the mountain of work that he still had to do on top of everything else, time was not a luxury he had. He knew he needed to capitalise on his shocking revelation to ensure that the delegates were more amenable to his plan but needed to allow them time to process everything, so they wouldn't be irrational.

He knew his plan was ambitious, but he needed the Commonwealth United, he feared the Brotherhoods return. A part of him wondered if he was successful, could he be creating a lasting nation, much like the founding fathers?

It was an amusing notion, and one that Alec thought unprobeable. It would take the work of generations to rebuild everything, however this could be the starting line.

He was going through his last report fresh from the Castle dispatches, the Raider group known as the forged were growing emboldened. The news had come from Finch Farm and they had called for the Minutemen to help them.

The report was concerning, but Alec was not ready to commit his forces just yet. Instead Alec ordered out a troop to scout the areas around the Saugus Ironworks. He needed more information, however it occurred to him it would be beneficial to remove the threat.

He wrote out his dispatch with his standing orders, one of which was the scouting of Saugus but also other areas of interest to Alec and was only halfway through when his phone rang.

"What is it?" Alec said impatiently picking up the receiver.

"Boss there has been an incident, one that I think you would want to deal with yourself." MacCready reported.

Alec sighed, he had known this call would come, it had only been a matter of time and yet he wanted more.

"Where is he?" Alec asked knowing who had caused an incident.

"The Rusted Gear." MacCready said without any judgment, "he broke the lock and made himself at home with a bottle of something."

The bar was an amenity of Vault 88 however it was not yet open or fully operational. It should have been ready in a few days which Alec had hoped would be in time to celebrate or commiserate the outcome of his mission.

"Thanks Bobby, your right I will deal with this myself." Alec told him and looked down at the paper in front of him, "I need to send out a dispatch to the Castle, we need to open the door, so send a contingent of guards to secure the gear door room."

"I'm on it Boss. We will need them to stop Piper getting out with what she must think is the scoop of the century."

"Your probably right." Alec snorted, "where is she anyway, being a nuisance?"

"She had cornered Adam last I knew, probably trying to get more information out of him about the Institute." MacCready said vaguely, "I posted a guard on her just to make sure things stay calm."

"Good work Bobby, I should be up to the gear room in about twenty minutes." Alec said and he ended the call.

Putting the phone down, Alec sighed and rubbed his face tired, he wondered why he was even bothering, was it worse the lack of sleep.

Finishing up writing his orders and making sure everything was in order, he secured them in a sturdy courier tube. He secured the rest of his papers and reports in his safe, tidied his desk before leaving his office and making his way up to the gear room.

As always, the commotion and noise of the gear door opening was a big distraction and it caught the attention of the residents but oddly Piper didn't come running. Outside in the cave entryway stood his minutemen guarding Vault 88 from any threat.

"General!" Said the commanding officer of the guards coming up the metal staircase. If he thought anything odd with the clean clothes and oddness of Vault 88, he didn't show it instead he only noticed the tube Alec carried. "New orders for our runner?"

"I want this taken directly to Colonel Garvey at the Castle, I want these orders to be followed immediately."

"Yes sir."

Returning back inside the vault, Alec ordered Vault 88 to be locked down once more and thanked the guards for them diligence. He walked through the Vault and stopped periodically to speak to the dwellers, keen to remain connected with them despite everything that was going on.

The scale of the design of Vault 88 was larger than any vault Alec had seen within the Commonwealth and even Far Harbour. The Atrium was large and spacious, with all manner of facilities, it truly was the central hub for the entire vault and was expertly designed.

Something Alec would never tell Barstow.

It had surprised Alec to find that Vault 88 had a bar incorporated into its design, along with the facilities to brew and distil alcohol. However, he knew that the facilities were only added by Barstow to be used as a means of conducting some form of experiment.

One such experiment that was to be installed in the bar was the Soda Fountain, Barstow hated what Alec had done with her prototypes however it had proved to be a popular refreshment in Vault 88.

Looking through the window Alec saw that its new patron had not turned the lights on, however there was a neon glow around the bar. The glow coming from the bars sign that had been constructed by the Maintenance Department as a gift to the Vault.

It was quite the ingenious design, incorporating a mechanical moving gear that matched the name of the bar, along with some neon making an almost pre-war bar sign.

Most of the bar was covered in white protective sheets, half of the bar had been uncovered along with the sign. Sitting at the bar, illuminated only by the neon glow was a man with a mottled complexion.

He didn't move as Alec activated the hydraulic motors which slid the door open.

"I wondered when you would come to bring me back from the edge." Said the rasping voice of the Mayor of Goodneighbour.

Taking that as a good sign, Alec made his way to the stool next to him and joined him sitting at the bar.

"I have only one question. How long have you known?"

It was a loaded question, one that Alec couldn't fully answer. Yet he felt owed Hancock some level of an explanation.

"I have heard the rumours and speculations about his synthetic nature since my first visit to Diamond City two years ago." Alec admitted carefully, "I only got the confirmation recently."

Hancock said nothing, he poured himself another drink and downed it in one and went back to staring at the bottom of the glass.

"I have been haunted by what my brother did to the innocent people of Diamond City once he became Mayor, he drove the ghouls from their homes and kicked out the less desirable citizens from the city." Hancock said spitefully, "So many died because of his campaign and rise to power. I helped those that I could, but I couldn't save and protect them all."

Alec had heard of the purge of Diamond City, and on becoming Director and getting confirmation that McDonough was a synth he had dug deeper into the records. All that he discovered caused Alec to hate the Institutes actions more and made him question Shaun's ethics and decisions.

"How long have you been holding onto this information." Hancock demanded of him, "You are well informed of the Institutes operations, did you wait for the most opportune moment?"

"Does it matter?" Alec answered slowly without any trace of malice, "I uncovered the truth and have ensured that it was revealed. You deserved to know the truth, despite your history and all you have done as John Hancock of Goodneighbour. You are still John McDonough, and he was still your brother."

"You say that like it means something!" Hancock snapped, "I hate my brother! But now I learn that the person I hate was not even my brother. It was an Institute Synth wearing the face of my apparently dead brother!"

It surprised Alec that his friend was still maintaining his composure. He had expected Hancock to rage and break things, try to take chems or even leave the vault. But instead he was downed glasses of whiskey and was almost calm.

"The Institute murdered my brother and stole his face and name." Hancock laughed darkly, "And here you sit asking me to work with them! You expect me to trust them? How could anyone trust the institute after everything they have done! Do you Alec?"

"Trust them?" Alec mused quietly it was an interesting question. "Not entirely I admit, however I do trust that they share my vision for the future and want to work together to achieve it."

"I know you used me Alec." Hancock snapped pointedly, "I never realised how manipulative you could be. Surprisingly I do not blame you. I understand what you want to do for the Commonwealth, I might even agree with that vision, but I will not work with them!"

"You're not wrong, I did take advantage of the situation and your history." Alec said looking at the creativeness of the sign on the wall and not wanting to look at his friend. "Believe me when I say that I did not want to hurt you Hancock. The future of the Commonwealth is at stake Hancock, there is a war coming and we have to be ready."

Hancock snorted and downed the rest of his drink.

"Do you know what I have been thinking about since your little dog and pony show." Hancock said sounding resigned, "I cannot remember the last thing I said to my brother. My real brother that is."

Alec reached out for the bottle and pulled another glass from under the bar and poured them both a healthy measure of whiskey from a bottle that he realised was pre war and would have been incredibly expensive.

Hancock was a good friend, he had helped Alec on several occasions and had even travelled with him when he had got bored of Goodneighbour. Yet now Alec had to keep some of the information he had gleamed from the Institutes files to himself, he didn't think Hancock was ready to learn the full truth about Guy McDonough.

Secretly there was another motive. Alec had to make sure Hancock was on board with his plan, without Hancock he wasn't sure he could bind the commonwealth leaders together. So, for now he would keep the secrets.

"You mourn a brother who has been dead to you since you donned that coat and became John Hancock." Alec said firmly, "You know the truth now, but it doesn't change anything apart from your own perspective. You have a right to be angry, now use that anger to ensure that the Institute is constrained by law."

Hancock looked startled by the brutal honestly but took the drink happily.

"How will you disempower them?" He asked, "I know you have a plan, and you have shown how calculating you can be. So, what is your plan?"

"The Institute has changed, it is not what it once was." Alec told him, "however if I am unsuccessful here, and no agreement is made then it will be very easy for the Institute to fall back to its previous mantra."

A deep sigh came from Hancock and he reached for the whiskey bottle and held it for a long moment before he picked the lid up and put it back on.

"I do not trust them." Hancock said finally, "I trust you have a plan, one that will be good for the people of the Commonwealth. I will support you so long as you ensure that the Institute does not bother my people. I have them to look out for."

**o-FALLOUT-o**

It took Alec another hour to get Hancock to leave the bar and he gave him another hour to burn off the alcohol before he finally reconvened the delegates to the meeting room. It took no amount of strong-arming and cajoling to get each of them back to the table but eventually he succeeded.

The atmosphere in the room was charged, none of them sat comfortably except for Adam who seemed to find the situation interesting.

"Thank you all for returning, I know that the revelation was shocking." Alec said to open the talks once more, "however I hope it shows you that the Institute is willing to work with us, and this is a step in a new direction for them."

"We have returned as you wanted." Geneva said firmly returning to her normal no nonsense approach he had known her to use in the Mayor's office, "what do you want exactly?"

"A good question." Alec said calmly, "there is a war coming to the Commonwealth. If we are all to survive this coming war, we need to unite our Commonwealth, we need to work towards a common goal. So, when the war comes from the west, we must be ready."

All the delegates were listening attentively now, and Alec could see a multitude of emotions on their faces.

"You are speaking of the Brotherhood of Steel." Gwen said knowingly, "I have heard the reports from the Radio of their defeat. However, I would remind you General that Vault 81 is a secure home to my people, built to withstand a nuclear blast. The Brotherhood cannot get to us."

"Are you so sure?" Adam mused quietly, trying not sound threatening, "forgive me, but I think you are underestimating the Brotherhood and overestimating your Vault. It is true that your vault was built to survive a nuclear blast, however that was two centuries ago. There will now be degradation from centuries of wear and tear, meaning it is not as secure and impervious as it once was."

"Is that a threat" Gwen demanded getting ready to stand.

"No, it is a fact." Alec said stepping in to avoid the situation escalating.

The truth was that if the Institute wanted to, it could have broken into Vault 81 by using the molecular relay. Vaults were secure against most threats, however against the might of the Brotherhood it could be cracked like an egg.

"All of our settlements are at risk from the Brotherhood, and that also includes the Institute." Alec continued and he gave a pointed look, "The Brotherhood has amassed a vast collection of technology much of which it being Pre-War weapons technology from the United States Military."

Gwen deflated slightly in her chair, but she kept a sharp eye on Adam, as if expecting him to suddenly run from the room to begin an invasion of vault 81.

"Why do we have cause to worry about the Brotherhood. You defeated them." Kessler said disapprovingly, "you did that with your Minutemen, why can you not just do it again."

"Honestly, I was lucky to have been able to defeat them." Alec said honestly, "that battle was won because I caught them off guard, by taking out their supposed advantages and causing disarray which provided the opening needed."

"It is also probable that they did not see the Minutemen as a threat." Adam interjected, "Forgive me General, but the Minutemen cannot compare to the training and discipline of the Brotherhood. It was only with the Institutes assistance that the battle was won, you utilised our technology to take out their airship, vertibirds and power armour."

Alec glared disapprovingly at Adam for disclosing so much, it was the truth, but he didn't want that common knowledge.

"You worked with them to take down the Brotherhood!" Geneva accused, "I thought that was just a rumour!"

"The Brotherhood was a threat to the Commonwealth, which includes the Institute." Adam said objectively, "we acted out of self-interest, however together the Institute and Minutemen were able to work towards a common goal. Which is exactly what Alec is trying to do but with all of us working as one."

"I understand that at least, so what you just want our support?" Geneva added looking confused, "you want us to increase our support for your Minutemen so that you can defend the Commonwealth?"

"That would only offer a short-term benefit." Alec replied, "You can give the minutemen money, supplies and food, however in order to meet this threat the Minutemen need infrastructure, we need industry to produce the necessary equipment needed to defend our Commonwealth."

"What you are talking about is not possible." Geneva pointed out, "You cannot mean to rebuild the world!'

Alec couldn't help but laugh.

"The world?" He said, "of course not. But why not the Commonwealth of Massachusetts? Could we not build our own nation, one that would benefit all and protect its citizens?"

"It is not possible." Geneva refuted, "We tried before, the Commonwealth Provisional Government failed." She added the last comment with a sour look at Adam.

"But does that mean it's not possible?" Alec mused, "We tried once and failed so that means it cannot ever succeed. If that is true, then none of us would have learnt to walk. Do you honestly think that across the whole world no new nation has been born following the Great War?"

"That is not possible, you cannot create a country or a nation!" Geneva protested, "The world doesn't work like that! There are no nations anymore."

"Our ancestors made a new independent nation into the mighty United States." Hancock commented, "I don't think it impossible. Alec is right, if we can set aside our differences, we could do it."

"Geneva you are also wrong." Kessler said matter-of-factly.

"That is not true." Kessler said matter of factly.

"What does Bunker Hill know about what happens outside the Commonwealth?" Gwen Asked with great interest, "Do you trade outside our borders?"

Alec turned to Kessler and was just as intrigued as the rest of the delegates.

"Our traders have crossed most of the Commonwealth at some time or another, we have met others who have also travelled afar, and they hear tales of such things. One such nation is the New California Republic." She told them smugly, "I have also heard rumours of smaller city states to the north, but these are unconfirmed. I have recently met with two traders from the north, they told a tale of a slavers capital operating from the coast."

"Where did they come from?" Alec asked with interest, "were they from the Commonwealth?"

"I do not believe so, they said they had travelled far from a place called Brewtown." She told him frowning, "I tried to establish a trade route with them but they all but disappeared that night. However, they had cheated several people, taking salvaged machine components, if we find them they will not do business in the Commonwealth again."

Alec couldn't help but wonder what other towns, cities and settlements were out there surrounding the Commonwealth, he also didn't know much about the Western area of the Commonwealth, what lay beyond Nuka World?

"Sorry I got distracted." Alec said getting back on track, "A nation takes time to be built, it doesn't happen over night. We are generations away from such an event I would imagine. No what I want to do is establish a New Commonwealth Provisional Government."

The delegates looked interested, but some were guarded, they knew this was what he wanted but didn't know how it would work.

"So, lets got down to business." Kessler said, treating it like a trade negotiation, "What does it mean and what would we need to do?"

Gwen cleared her throat and looked around the table.

"We would need to establish a council, one which each of us would represent our communities' interest. Each member gets one seat and vote on the council and forms a united governing body responsible for maintaining law and order."

Everyone except Alec and Adam looked at her in surprise and Gwen shook her head in disappointment.

"One such matter that needs to be resolved for this vision of the future is the education of the citizens of the Commonwealth." She told them, "Vault 81 might be thought naïve of the wasteland, but we know our history and we are thoroughly educated."

"I would agree with Overseer McNamara." Adam agreed, "an educational program would be beneficial to all."

Gwen looked perturbed to be of the same mind as the Institute representative and Alec had to stifle a smile, they were not so different in reality, just divided because of history and fear.

"We are getting ahead of ourselves." Alec said taking control of the room once more. "If we are to unite the Commonwealth then I think we should set out some core Rights and Freedoms. We can build on these if we can reach an accord here and establish a New Commonwealth Provisional Government."

"You have given this a great deal of thought." Gwen acknowledged, "I will be happy to listen and open to such a discussion."

"The Institute likewise would like to engage in this venture." Adam agreed, "we want to work hand in hand with you all."

It was a unanimous decision to move forwards with the discussions, it was a good start Alec thought to himself and so he pulled out his note pad where he had written out the core Rights and Freedoms he wanted at the heart of the United Commonwealth.

"I have based these Rights and Freedoms on the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights, so some of you will be familiar if you have studied history." Alec told them all, "However I have made some amendments to them where I believe they needed to be adapted. So shall we begin?"

Receiving no response Alec continued and picked up a folder from behind him and passed out a document with a typed-out version of his proposal.

"This is the draft of a Right to Protection." Alec told the room, "I will summarise this for you. First and foremost, this council will guarantee that all signatories shall be protected against invasion and domestic violence. In such an event the council is to take swift action to protect its people and our sovereignty."

"A good place to start." Hancock stated, "I assume your Minutemen would provide such protection?"

"Yes." Alec nodded although he didn't think the Minutemen would remain the military power of the United Commonwealth.

"Invasion." Gwen said looking at the paper, "That would mean like the Brotherhood?"

"Exactly the council must have the power to protect its territory for external threats." Alec explained, "Whereas the protection from domestic violence would allow the council to act to end threats such as the Raiders and Gunners."

"Could this right be applied to our people?" Geneva asked frowning deeply as she studied the paper, "That could be applied to any threat."

"No, that would be a breach of the first part of the Protection." Adam pointed out, "it would be unlawful, this council could not take such action our communities are protected."

"So, we would be protected from the Institute?" Geneva asked pointedly.

"Only if the Institute is also a signatory to this right." Adam responded calmly.

"Good." Alec said moving the topic along, "the next point allows the give the council the power to raise and support a Military Force, allowing for the appropriate money and resources when it deems necessary. However, it is stipulated that in such events the appropriation must be made public."

"So, this council could take whatever it wants from a community?" Hancock asked shocked.

"If it deems it to be necessary it could." Alec explained, "however eventually the council will have access to its own funds and resources which can be directed to the military if necessary, rather than public work."

"Explain that." Geneva requested.

"If this council had access to one hundred caps and steel." Alec said thinking on an example of the top of his head, "these resources allocated to construct a water pipeline and pay for the workers to build it."

"Then the council could appropriate those resources and direct them to the military in order to fulfil the obligations of the two previous points." Hancock finished for Alec, "That is an interesting power that could be abused."

"No, Alec has already addressed that, such appropriations need to be made public and open to review." Gwen pointed out sounding impressed, "This is well thought out Alec."

"Thank you." Alec said giving her a small smile. "I also ensured that the appropriation of such resources can only last two years before being put back to the council to be voted on once more."

The room remained quiet, so Alec continued wanting to get the rest of the Article discussed and needed to get it all debated.

"The Council has the right to acquire and designate military bases and maintains authority over such installations." Alec told them, "What this means is that this council can claim locations to serve as a military base or facility and has oversight over such locations. An example of this would be the Castle, the Minutemen operate out of there, but only with the agreement of this Council."

"Lastly, the council is granted the power to declare war, the power to negotiate and sign alliances, agreements and truces in the name of protecting our Commonwealth." Alec finished up, "any questions?"

"I understand this Right of Protection and it is clear you have thought a lot about it." Gwen said setting the paper aside, "What about those people who do not fall under our jurisdiction? How do we protect them?"

"We cannot." Alec admitted, "this council is only empowered to protect those that we represent."

"Then what of those settlements your Minutemen protects?" Hancock pointed out, "If we go ahead with this then that would be unlawful."

"No." Alec said shaking his head, "That is only true if the Minutemen are the military force of this council."

"This is a complicated situation." Kessler said, "It will take time to get things in order, however I find this agreeable. This Council could make the roads safer which would make my traders jobs safer and open new trade routes."

"What does this mean for our own security forces?" Geneva asked, "will this interfere with that?"

They discussed and debated the Right of Protection for a further two hours, there were numerous questions which each of them had and Alec had to answer as best he could. The wording was amended slightly, and Alec had to fight to ensure the principles remained the same without the loss any key components.

Eventually Alec called for a vote on the final revision and the delegates voted unanimously after he made the amendments.

Next Alec introduced a motion introduce judicial conduct into the Commonwealth.

When he had left Vault 111, he has learnt very quickly that the Commonwealth lacked any form of judicial system, which he hoped would eventually be built as time went on. For now, the Right was theoretical in nature, but would eventually lead to the establishment of courts, judges and prisons.

The Right Judicial Conduct was debated in far more detail than the first, as it was a new concept for them. One of those opposed to such a Right was Hancock, he didn't like the sound of such a right given his own ideas on judicial procedure.

It didn't surprise Alec, as the first time he had met the Mayor of Goodneighbour he had seen him stab a man and kill him for trying to shake down a visitor to his town.

One of the driving forces behind the Right was that Alec wanted to pay homage to his wife. Kate had been a lawyer, she could have created an entire system if she were alive but that was beyond Alec. He had struggled enough writing the articles they were debating, and he'd had to borrow from historic references to write them.

Eventually however Alec got them all to agree to the motion, if only begrudgingly and he knew he would struggle with further motions to pass bills regarding criminal activity and punishments.

Which led Alec to the last motion he wanted to discuss that day and it was one he was quite passionate about and wanted to ensure it was built into the very core of what he planned to build, a part of a national identity.

When he had visited Nuka World, he had seen barbarity which he had only read about in history. No citizen of the Commonwealth should have to fear such a fate and should be free to live out their lives however they chose.

"I have but one last motion to put before you before we adjourn for the evening." Alec said after making several amendments to the previous article. "This next one I hope none of you will oppose and will wholeheartedly support me on."

They all looked at him intrigued as they had debated the first two extensively and no doubt wondered why this would be any different and when he passed out the next article he had wrote then studied it and he noted more than one raised eyebrow.

"The Freedom of Slavery." Alec stated, "I think the name speaks for itself, however you will see I have outlined some definitions and how this shall apply."

"I agree on the freedom." Gwen said easily, "Slavery is barbaric."

Alec nodded glad to have her support.

"I agree we should introduce this freedom." Hancock nodded, "I was with Alec when he liberated Nuka World, I saw the slaves the Raiders gangs kept. No living being should wear the shackles of servitude."

"Living being." Adam mused turning to Hancock. "Your choice of vernacular is interesting. Does that include individuals of a synthetic nature?"

"You are not alive!" Hancock spat furiously, "You are a machine, and therefore cannot be enslaved as you are not a person."

"I have touched a nerve." Adam said apologetically, "that was not my intent. You are all aware of the nature of synths, they are used as tools by the institute. Yet there is a faction within the Commonwealth who seeks to free synths from the institutes control and let them live free."

"The Railroad you mean." Kessler asked, behind her Old Man Stockton shifted uneasily. "That is not a matter for this council to address, would you not agree Alec?"

Her question caught Alec off guard not expecting the issue to be given to him to resolve, however he became acutely aware that both Adam and Old Man Stockton watching him intently.

"We are not here to debate the ethics of Synthetic Consciousness." Alec said carefully navigating the issue, "this article would only apply to sentient beings such as humans, ghouls and even super mutants should they so wish."

The room looked at him aghast.

"You would give the freedom to those beasts!" Kessler questioned outraged, "They are one of the biggest threats to my caravans outside of Raider Gangs."

"They are sentient beings, I have meant two of them that retain intelligence." Alec told her, "They are humans which had been exposed to a virus which has caused serious mutation."

"What about Nick." Hancock questioned looking at Alec, "Would you not give him the same protections as you would give me."

"I would argue that Detective Valentine, while a synth is a Citizen of the Commonwealth and would be afforded all the Rights and Freedoms as any member of our communities." Adam asserted, "He has no affiliation with the Institute, and is a well-established citizen of Diamond City. Would you not agree Geneva?"

The new de facto mayor looked wary of being addressed by Adam and the question unsettled her.

"I have known Valentine since I was a child." She said frowning as she wondered what Adam was trying to do, "he is a citizen, I would agree that the freedom would apply to him. It would also protect him from the Institute."

"The detective has nothing fear from us." Adam shrugged.

"Good." Alec said moving away from the topic of synths, "I would also like to make it a law that any slave brought into our borders is immediately recognised as a freedman and should be protected by our law."

"That is a noble principle." Kessler said frowning, "However we create an issue should this be tested by a foreign power. Slave trading is said to be lucrative."

"It's uncivilised and has no place in our borders." Gwen said sternly, "I agree with Alec, they should be afforded the protection of our laws, we could also give them sanctuary should they choose to remain."

They debated that particular aspect of the article for an hour discussing how it might put into practice and what would happen if they ever faced a situation where it would apply. In the end they did not end up making any changes to that aspect of the article, so it was all for nothing.

The final part of the slavery article allowed for citizens to be placed into involuntary servitude within a prison or workhouse as a form of punishment, otherwise the Council would be unable establish the Judicial processes that Alec wanted.

With the final vote done Alec gathered up the pages he had made wrote the amendments to the three articles and tucked them into a folder.

"Well I think we should call it a night, it has been a very long day and I am sure you could all use a hot dinner courtesy of Vault 88's kitchens." Alec said to them all, he couldn't wait to get away to his office and unwind without having to worry about compromising the negotiations.

"That would be great, I am famished." Hancock laughed, "Is the bar open?"

"No." Alec said firmly glaring at Hancock, "The rest of the evening is your own to do as you wish, make use of any of the open facilities of Vault 88. And be ready to begin the next stage of our negotiations at 9 o'clock in the morning."

**O-FALLOUT-O**

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**O-FALLOUT-O**

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**O-FALLOUT-O**


	7. Chapter 7

Fallout 4: The Rise of the M.C.R

**Chapter Seven**

**Inopportune Distraction**

After a long day of debate, Alec had planned to have a quick dinner before retiring to his quarters. However, that plan had gone right out the Vault Door when he was served a culinary delight unlike anything he had eaten in two hundred years.

It was one thing to know that the Vault 88 pantry contained all manner of ancient wonders, it was another matter experiencing them in the wonders the kitchen staff had cooked up. The population of the vault had all turned out to sample the food and the canteen was lively and full of chatter.

Despite the camaraderie within the canteen, Alec sat himself away from people and enjoyed his dinner in relative peace. Tonights menu had included a delectable spiced vegetable and beef strew and a fruit pie.

Finishing his meal, he had returned to his office intending to make a start on writing up the amendments to his articles. However, his headache was still lingering, and he couldn't find the motivation to start working.

In an effort to relax, he went upstairs to his personal bathroom and turned on the shower and began to try and wash the day away.

As a soldier he did better in the field than he did sitting in a meeting room, it made him twitchy and stir crazy. He felt the urge to escape to the surface and shoot something. Standing under the stream of hot water, he planned an escape from the Vault and diplomacy by using the old tunnels.

Deciding against following through with his plan, he dried himself off and pulled on a thick bathrobe and went back down to his office.

Reflecting back on the negotiations he thought the day had been a success, sure they had argued excessively over the key areas of the three articles but he had managed to bind them in theory to them which he took to be a good sign.

From a cabinet he pulled out the heavy typewriter and began to set it up on his desk, he wished the Vault had a computer printer for it would make his job much easier but he had to make do with an old typewriter.

Before he could press the first key there was a blinding flash of light within his quarters that crackled loudly and blinded him momentarily. It dissipated harmlessly and, in its place, stood a person wearing a turquoise cleanroom suit.

They looked around wildly for a moment to get their bearings before they saw Alec sat at his desk and then their hands shot up in the air either side of them in surrender.

"Director do not shoot!" Said a startled female voice, "I am unarmed."

Acting on Instinct, Alec immediately pulled out an accessible 10mm pistol that was strapped under his desk the moment the lightshow has started and had trained the weapon on the apparent intruder.

He had weapons stashed in every room of his quarters, all of them hidden but easily accessible just in case.

"Rosalind?" He asked recognising the voice, he relaxed slightly, she was no Courser and of a limited threat to him. "What are you doing here? Take off that ridiculous mask and hood, Vault 88 contains no contaminants."

Hesitantly she pulled off the mask and lowered the suits hood, and he saw her actively looking around his quarters with great interest and when she saw the large window, she walked over and looking down at the Atrium and gasped.

"This place is so… Foreign!" She said with amazement, "It's also so clean nothing like what I have heard about the Surface."

A snort escaped Alec before he could stop it, she was like an inquisitive child. He wondered if that was how the scientists remained so objective about those who lived on the surface, they just had no sense of the larger world beyond their walls, it was just a detached concept.

"This is a vault, you are still underground so it is not a true reflection of the Surface." Alec corrected, "what are you doing here?"

Her carefree expression fell from her face and she became serious.

"You must return to the Institute immediately. Dr Li sent me to fetch you, something has happened that requires your personal attention."

"What has happened?" He said sternly, he wanted the facts not evasive answers.

"The Institute has been placed on lockdown by Dr Ayo, I only just managed to get to the Relay before it went into place." She said, "He is hunting a Railroad agent operating within the Institute. He is beginning a sweep from top to bottom looking for any evidence of the agent's identity."

Suddenly the concept of sleep and relaxation was very far away to Alec.

Whatever Dr Ayo had aimed was well intentioned, but his actions were foolish and counterproductive and would have the adverse effect that he had planned.

"If the Institute has gone into lockdown how will we enter?" Alec asked trying to get more information about the situation.

"The normal way." She explained simply, "You are the director, you send out the beacon and you will be transported immediately. The lockdown will not restrict your movements. Can I stay here and look around?"

"No." Alec said firmly and pointed at the couch, "Take a seat Rosalind. If I am to return to the Institute, I will need to get changed into something other than a bathrobe."

The Dr looked down at his clothing as Alec got to his feet and blushed a furious scarlet, as she realised that was not properly dressed and she quickly took her seat and looked pointedly away from him.

As he walked through a doorway and up the stairs to his living quarters above his office, he couldn't help but smile at her embarrassment, but that thought turned sour as he thought of Kate. As usual thinking of Kate, laying on ice within Vault 111 did nothing to improve his mood.

Dressing in some clean casual clothing, he placed the pistol into the back waistband of his trousers before he went back downstairs to find Rosalind looking out of the window once more. He picked up the folder containing his notes and documents, if he was going to the Institute, he would have a synth do the typing while he attended to business with Dr Ayo.

"You are interested about the surface." Alec said, and it wasn't a question.

"My father used to tell me stories about the wasteland." She said wistfully, "he was not your average Institute scientist, he worked in Bioscience Division, he made a study of the fauna of the Commonwealth."

It was an interesting field of study, especially given the mutations prevalent in the wasteland, and he wondered what had drawn her father to such a field.

"Dr Li is overseeing the cataloguing everything from Boston Airport." Alec pointed out, "You should ask her to let you work in the field, get your head above ground, stretch your legs. It is secured by the Institute and my Minutemen; it will be safe."

She gave him a surprised look but didn't comment.

"Let's go doctor." He said, he checked the door to his office was locked not wanting anyone within the vault to realise that he was gone before he pressed the button on his PipBoy activating the beacon and both of them were whisked away in a flash of light.

The Relay Room had four armed Coursers standing guard and they watched them closely, one moved to restrain Dr Orman but stopped at the look that Alec gave the female Courser.

"I do not know what is going on." Alec said in a stern but quiet voice, "You will maintain your position here in the Relay Room, but you are not to lay a finger on anyone. Now where is Dr Ayo?"

"Understood Director." The Courser replied immediately and stepped back to the wall, "You will find Dr Ayo in the SRB coordinating the search."

Not wasting any more time, Alec and Rosalind silently made their way to the elevator and began to descend into the Institute.

Alec took the time to looked around and was shocked to see the Coursers patrolling every level of the Concourse, turning out the residential suites without remorse or care. Dr Ayo had truly overstepped his bounds and it infuriated his anger and he tried to his anger under control before he confronted the doctor.

Parting ways with Rosalind, Alec cross the Concourse and ordered the Coursers guarding the SRB Division to stand aside and entered the division of the Institute that was most often at odds with the others.

"Dr Ayo!" Alec called not caring to control his tone when he saw Ayo was in the middle of briefing a group of Coursers and saw that he balked on seeing Alec walking towards him. "What the hell are you doing!"

The Coursers were dismissed by Ayo and he stood expectantly waiting for Alec to join him.

"Director I had not thought to see you here, I was just readying the Coursers to retrieve her but that is no longer necessary." He said simply. "I finally have proof that there is an agent of the Railroad within our walls and I shall find them!"

"What Intelligence." Alec said demanded.

The doctor paused for a moment looking at Alec carefully before he nodded and moved to a terminal and gestured for Alec to follow him and he brought up a text file on the screen.

"We intercepted this communication from someone inside the Institute to the surface." Ayo explained, "read it and you will understand."

It was a short and Alec wondered why this had warranted such a reaction.

_PATRIOT: A FRIEND IS MAKING A JOURNEY, HE WANTED TO SEE BUNKER HILL. HE IS TRAVELING FROM THE WEST, HE COMES FROM ARCJET OR THEREABOUTS._

_AFRIEND: UNDERSTOOD. _

_PATRIOT: THANK YOU. HE DESERVES A BETTER LIFE._

_AFRIEND: WHAT OF THE AIPORT?_

PATRIOT: STAY AWAY… USER DISCONNECTED.

AFRIEND: USER DISCONNECTED.

"Where did this come from?" Alec asked trying to process what he had just ready.

"It was only by luck that we discovered this while we conducted a random sweep of our network." Ayo explained, "they were piggybacking on our network using a hidden partition. We only got so much before they realised and terminated their connection."

If Alec understood correctly, whoever they were, they had used the same network the SRB used to send messages to assets on the surface. It was a clever way of masking their communications and it was right under Ayo's nose.

"The SRB has assumed for some time that there is a leak within the Institute, the Railroad has been too successful in stealing our property. It is a reasonable deduction to assume that the two are linked, do you not agree?"

"Perhaps." Alec said and he would agree there was a degree of logic to that deduction. From his own time among the Railroad Alec was familiar with their methods, including their use of PAM.

Ayo was about to say something in response, but Alec spoke over him.

"The Railroad is only interested in Gen Three Synths." Alec pointed out getting back to the polnt, "Why and how would one get all the way out to Arcjet?"

"Dr Li has requested two teams to be deployed to the facility, they were sent out this afternoon." Ayo said dismissively, "it would be possible for a malfunctioning unit to disappear from the facility."

Alec wondered what Dr Li was investigating or researching that necessitated sending out additional squads to a pre-war aerospace facility which had specialised in communication, propulsion and other such custom-built high-tech equipment.

He had been their himself once before contracted by Paladin Danse, back when Alec had no idea who the Brotherhood of Steel were or what he would be helping bring to the Commonwealth.

"I understand the concern you have for the security of the Institute." Alec said carefully keeping his frustration and anger in check. "Now can you explain why you did not inform me prior to your actions. Actions that have thrown the Institute into disarray and why you did not inform me prior to doing so."

"Because you are a former Railroad agent." Dr Ayo said simply, "I believe your codename while with them was the Professor. Ironic given your lack of higher education but also your position with us now."

His knowledge of his codename caught Alec by surprise, however it was well known that he'd had dealings with them."

"I had need of the resources of the Railroad, they were familiar with your technology and I had need for such knowledge." Alec pointed out darkly, "I did everything I needed to find my son, Shaun surely explained this."

"He did." Dr Ayo acknowledged, "I wanted to avoid testing your loyalties to the Institute, so I did not send word, I wanted the evidence before it could be… misplaced."

"What are you suggesting." Alec said dangerously.

"Nothing of course." Ayo responded quickly, moving away from Alec and looked delighted to see a Courser entering SRB. "What is it?"

"We have found the proof that you were looking for." The Courser reported and handed over the apparent evidence. "Two Holotapes, found them in Dr Holdren's quarters."

"What do they contain?" Alec stepping in front of Ayo, he was not the one in control here.

"It contains a recruitment message." The Courser responded.

"Join the Railroad." He murmured, "I am familiar with this recording, odd don't you think that Dr Holdren would have two of them? Where did you find them?"

"In the trashcans Director." The synth reported without hesitation.

"I see." Alec said looking at Dr Ayo suspiciously wondering if he could have planted them but dismissed it quickly, he couldn't allow himself to follow that train of thought. "The lockdown is released, all Coursers are to stand down, this search is over."

"You cannot do that." Ayo spluttered.

"It is done." Alec said raising an eyebrow at Ayo smugly, "You are dismissed Courser see to it my orders are followed. Give me the room, everyone is dismissed.

"Yes Director." The Courser responded with a sharp disciplined nod.

The room emptied leaving only Alec and Ayo standing within the SRB.

Ayo was watching Alec mutely, no doubt trying to calculate what he would do next.

"You acted outside your authority by conducting this search of the Institute." Alec said in a low measured voice stepping right up to the doctor. "You seek power Justin, yet it is I who hold the power here. I will give you only this warning. Do not overstep your authority again, you will regret it."

Dr Ayo nodded mutely and tried to step away from him, but Alec again closed the distance, he could see the swear forming on his forehead.

"As to this Patriot." Alec said finally stepping away from the doctor and reading the messages once more. "If you'd have discussed this with me prior to enacting your foolish plan I would have told you to be patient. You took a sledgehammer to the problem when you should have used a scalpel."

"I did only what…"

"I didn't ask for an explanation Dr Ayo." Alec said waving him off dismissively.

"You are aware of my plans for the Commonwealth, I am trying to unite everyone with a common goal, from all different walks of life. Yet here you stand dividing the Institute with your own ambitions."

The doctor was looking pointedly at a wall and wouldn't make eye contact. No doubt he would have something clever to say, of that Alec was certain but Ayo had realised he had already made a big enough hole.

"You will continue to monitor the network for further activity between Patriot and his friend. No action will be sanctioned for the next three months without authority from the directorate." Alec said firmly. "Furthermore, you will stand before the directorate and explain how you overstepped your authority and where that authority ends."

The doctors jaw was grinding standing there in front of Alec, but he said nothing more than he had to.

"Yes Director."

"Good." Alec said satisfied, he would embarrass the doctor to prove his point and to teach him a lesson. "Now the synth, it will try to escape. You have taken steps I am sure?"

**o-Fallout-o**

The damage Ayo had done to the harmony of the Institute took Alec hours to restore, the people were in uproar. He brought it back without resorting to the use of Coursers or brute strength, instead he had used words and apologies.

If Alec had questioned if the scientists had accepted his position as Director prior to tonight, that doubt was gone by the time he was done. The people were relived to see Alec taking charge of the Situation and taking a firm stance against Dr Ayo's actions.

Once the situation was resolved, the people were content enough to return to their quarters for the night. Something Alec envied and instead of finding a comfy bed he instead summoned the directorate to board meeting.

Dr Ayo did as Alec ordered him to in penance for his actions and it was apparent that he was not well liked by his colleagues, but they were at least pacified, and Ayo was humiliated for now.

The rest of the meeting of the directorate lasted less that twenty minutes, merely allowing Alec to make sure everything was running smoothly before he dismissed everyone claiming he needed sleep.

A synth had been waiting for him as he stepped off the elevator into the Relay Room, he handed Alec a folder and promised that the work would be satisfactory. Not much caring if the Synth had ruined the articles, he programmed the relay to transport him back to his office.

His office was empty he was happy to see on landing safely, he was not a fan of the relay but it was highly convenient. Throwing the folder onto his couch he briefly looked out of the large window at the Atrium below.

The lights had been dimmed as it was the early hours of the morning, and it was one of the only ways to tell the passing of time within the vault. The Atrium was empty except for a maintenance drone, although Alec knew that the security would be stationed on a night shift.

Sighing and stifling a large yawn, he switched off the lights in his office and made his way up to his bedroom and with relief got into bed.

However, after what felt like only five minutes did the alarm on the bedside table go off and Alec threw the cursed device across the bedroom and swore blue murder when it continued to beep. Forced to get out of bed he freshened up in the bathroom and got dressed and tried to make himself presentable.

His office was just as he left it, he picked up the two folders, one for todays meeting but also the one the synth had given him before he left his office and made his way tiredly down to the canteen.

Clem was serving breakfast in the canteen today and on seeing Alec entering he immediately poured him a large mug of coffee.

"Take a seat Overseer." Clem said handing over the steaming mug, "I will bring you over some breakfast, I can see you brought your work with you."

Nodding silent gratification, he took the offered coffee and found himself a booth and quickly read through the synths work and compared it to his notes and was happy to see no mistakes. He gulped down the coffee and began to read through what he hoped would be further successful articles that would unite the Commonwealth.

Breakfast today was a cheese omelette the smell of the food made Alec's stomach growl with anticipation but was happier to see Clem bring over a pot of coffee and refilled his now empty mug.

He was just finishing the last morsel of egg from his plate when the seat opposite him was suddenly filled by an energetic Piper and he had to hide his groan behind his coffee mug.

"I heard that Blue." She said pouted, "You have been avoiding me. I tried to speak with you last night, but you didn't answer your door. How long have you been holding out on me for?"

Knowing there was no way out of this conversation, Alec sighed and put down his fork and pushed his plate away while closing the folder he had been reading, it wasn't yet time for Piper to see their content.

"I won't be coy and pretend I don't know what you're talking about Piper. You couldn't have done anything with the information I had, it wouldn't have changed anything."

"How can you say that!" Piper refuted, "I could have published an expose!"

"Haven't you done that already?" Alec questioned, "I remember that article being printed around the time we first met outside Diamond City."

Piper smiled fondly, "Oh yeah, that was a great article, it sure got that synths attention and got me exiled from the city. That is beside the point, I wanted him exposed and you could have helped me do it."

"Maybe." Alec shrugged dismissively. "I hear you spoke with Adam, the Institutes representative."

"I did! Never thought I would actually get to interview a member of the Institute!" She admitted excitedly and playing with a pen from her pocket. "He was polite but didn't have the authority to tell me everything I wanted."

"Well he is a synth programmed to be a representative to the surface." Alec pointed out, "They will have programmed him was safeguards to protect their secrets. Adam is their first step towards an open exchange with us up here, he is a synth but doesn't hide his nature or pretend otherwise. You must have enough material for the paper for the entire year and beyond."

"I do." Piper boasted smugly, "I thought the only story I would get would be about you uniting the Commonwealth Blue! I tried to get news sent to Nat to begin publishing our next edition but MacCready refused to open the door."

"It's for security." Alec told her, "For the duration of these talks that door will only be opened for Minutemen business. At the conclusion of the talks I will have the door opened, after that you are free to return to Diamond City."

"You are keeping this news all bottled up!" Piper accused, "Can't I broadcast it out on the airwaves?"

Alec wondered if she could, he knew there was a radio beacon built into Vault 88 but didn't know if it the whatever facilities could be used to broadcast all the way to Diamond City.

"Honestly I have no idea whether that is possible." Alec told her finishing the last dregs of his coffee, "I could ask maintenance for you?"

"That would be great." She said happily.

"Well if I am to speak to Maintenance before today's meeting I should get going." He told her, he easily had enough time but wanted to extract himself before Piper could really get going.

But he was not so lucky.

"You know something occurred to me when I spoke to Adam." She said watching him closely, "He is not the first synth called Adam. You have heard about the Broken Mask Incident I assume, happened sixty years ago."

The blood in Alec's body froze momentarily but hie forced himself to look back at her and tried to keep his face passive.

"Ironically that was around the same time the Communities tried to establish the original CPG." She said distracted momentarily before getting back on point. "You know that synth that went haywire was called Adam Carter. Odd don't you think that a Synth would use your family name?"

She was digging for information he realised, she was playing a game and it was a dangerous one to play with a journalist.

"You know my son was taken by the Institute." Alec said finally thinking of the best answer he could give, "The reason they took my son was to perfect their Synth technology, without him they never could have built something like McDonough."

It didn't escape Alec's notice that she looked shocked by his answer.

"Did you find your son Blue?" She asked and he thought she sounded genuinely concerns despite her probing for information.

"He is dead." Alec said darkly and he turned away and gave his plate and mug to Clem and managed to say a small thank you before turning back to Piper, "I will see about getting you that airtime."

Administrator Barstow was sitting in her office and Alec couldn't help but feel smug on entering them. It was far smaller than his, but she had decorated it with her own taste and furniture. They discussed the ongoing construction work down the monorail tunnel.

The entrance to what was to become a storage space for the Brotherhood technology salvaged from the Airport has been hidden thoroughly in the monorail maintenance room. Barstow claimed that had she not have known there was a door there she would have thought it just made of solid concrete.

It would also be the final resting place of Liberty Prime once it was dismantled for transport. A fitting mausoleum for a monstrous piece of Pre-War weapons technology that should never have been created.

They also discussed how they would handle the transportation of materials from the Airport and decided to use the Milton Subway Station entrance.

Vault 88 was connected to the Milton Subway Station via a series of tunnels, and originally Barstow had wanted to have them filled in to protect the Vault. Alec however had disagreed and instead argued that the tunnels be reinforced with concrete and the entrances to those tunnels cleverly disguised.

Tactically it made sense to have alternate exits to the vault in case of an attack and he had won that argument with Barstow in the earliest days of him becoming the Overseer and her the Administrator.

What he didn't tell her was that while the work had been carried out by the Vault-Tec Drones he had also installed several failsafes and sensors to ensure that the tunnels did not become a liability. One such precaution he put in place was not allowing the door to the tunnels to be opened from the subway.

There was also a second tunnel that extended from Vault 88 all the way to the basement of an old pharmacy in University Point. Alec has saw potential to use the store as a front for the Vault activities and so he kept the tunnel in place and had the same precautions applied to its basement.

It turned out that the Vault 88 broadcasting capabilities were far stronger than Alec had known but would require calibration prior to broadcasting a live feed. Alec arranged for a message to be delivered to Diamond City that Piper would broadcast some news on at nine in the evening and that DC Radio would be its host.

He had bared enough time to grab himself a mug of coffee before he had to race up to the meeting room for the day's session and was one of the last to arrive.

"You look like crap Alec." Hancock muttered as he sat down, "You get any sleep?"

Looking at his ghoulish friend he envied his ability to hide how he was feeling behind his rotted face.

"Less that I would have liked." Alec admitted savouring a sip of coffee and wondering if it would be enough to stop him falling asleep today. "what about you?"

"Better than I thought." Hancock shrugged, "only time I have been so warm and comfortable like I was last night was when I was entertaining a doll from the neighbourhood or afar."

Snorting in response, Hancock never failed to make Alec laugh when he had a need of it, he was crass and could be inappropriate, but it reminded him of friends he had in the Army.

The last people to arrive had been Kessler and Old Man Stockton and the Mayor did not look very happy.

"Good morning." Alec said as he got up to close the door to the room, and he tried to get a read of the room. "I hope you all slept well, I know you at least all ate well last night!"

"I have never eaten something so full of flavour!" Gwen replied smiling, "Maria Summerset has told me recipes and descriptions of what we used to be able to serve in our diner, but to actually taste them!"

"Would Vault 88 be open to trade?" Kessler asked looking at Alec, "I could make a… that is to say that Vault 88 could turn a tidy profit with some of its surplus."

Alec smirked, Barstow had told him that Kessler had tried to arrange a trade deal with her last night but the truth was that Vault 88 didn't need anything from the surface, it was fully sustainable and what it didn't have Alec could provide easily enough.

"Talks of trade can come later, I think we should get on with the matter at hand, I still have some propositions to put forward that I think we should debate." Alec said and was relieved to see they looked as excited about the prospect as he felt. "So are we sitting comfortably, today is going to be a long day and I think we should make the most of it."

**O-FALLOUT-O**

**Review** \- **Favourite** \- **Add to Communities**

**O-FALLOUT-O**

_Have you got Twitter? follow me **jayanphoenix** you will get updates on my writing on there :)_

**O-FALLOUT-O**

**Authors**** Note:**

No real movement here with the establishment of the common accord of the settlements in this chapter, this chapter had more with dealing with some issues with the Institute but also showing that Alec is trying to do a lot on his own. He has his attention being pulled in several directions at once, and if things do not change he will be overwhelmed.

I wanted to include more of the Institute quest lines into the story, as Alec might be the Director and has changed their agenda but there is still a lot of old thinking within its organisation. The Railroad is still operating within the Commonwealth and it is only a matter of time before there is a confrontation between them and their former Agent.

The next chapter we shall see the second stage of the negotiations, but also some outside perspectives as i want to check in with Nick and his search for the Elder Maxson.

I had to do a bit of alteration to a previous chapter yesterday, I realised i got my timeline wrong around the Broken Mask Incident! So that was not one of Shauns projects!

Previously i have said that i had not played any other Fallout game apart from F4, this is no longer the case I have played FNV as well! So yes you will get some further references to New Vegas.

PLEASE REVIEW! I really want to hear from you, i write this story for fun but I still want to hear your views and even suggestions! Where do you think this story is going?


	8. Chapter 8

Fallout 4: The Rise of the M.C.R

**Chapter Eight**

**Of Rumours and Splinted Opinions**

While Alec was working to get the Commonwealth leaders together, Detective Nick Valentine had also been busy investigating his most recent missing persons case. His target, Elder Arthur Maxson. Whom had last been seen at the heart of the battle of Boston Airport before he all but vanished.

When the Brotherhood had arrived, he had shivered in fear as he and Alec stood atop Fort Hagen. Over the decades he had heard tales of the Brotherhood of Steel and their mission, and Nick had stayed as far away from them as he could.

They were more of a threat to him than even the Institute.

The Institute had left him alone for over a half a century since his escape with DiMa, he might not like them but at least they would not try to destroy him just because he was an abomination of technology and an expression of human hubris.

As he had left Diamond City and began his path through the ruins of Boston, Nick saw signs that the various Raider gangs who called the labyrinth of crumbling ruins their territory were very active. It was the same every year, the Raiders grow desperate as they face winter and begin to strip any settlement for all their resources to survive.

Raider Wars were not uncommon but for now at least they were staying out of each other territories, but Nick doubted it would last much longer.

The Minutemen were stronger than they had been in decades thanks to Alec, and almost all settlements flew their flag and were protected. But the increased Raider activity meant the Minutemen were spread thin, but Nick had faith the settlements would survive the winter but not without some fatalities.

When Nick arrived at the airport and he froze for a moment, he had never seen so much Institute activity in one place before. However, Nick trusted Alec, if Alec said he would be safe then he trusted he would be.

Nick had approached the airport openly, walking up the old road with his hands in the air showing he hadn't been a threat, it had allowed him to walk straight up to the security boundary. It was there that he had met the serious looking man who Nick had immediately know was an Institute Courser.

"I am Nick Valentine." Nick had said firmly trying not to give the Institute the satisfaction of hearing his discomfort. "General Alexander Carter of the Commonwealth Minutemen has given me access to investigate and track down Elder Arthur Maxson."

The Courser had studied him for the briefest moments and but showed no emotion, although Nick thought that was because he always hid behind dark sunglasses.

"Good Morning Mr Valentine, you are expected." Had been his response, "I am X6-88, I am to be your escort. Come we have preserves most of the scene for you to review."

It hadn't surprised Nick that he would require an escort to access the airport and ruins of the Brotherhood, however what it did do was make him wonder just how much pull his friend now had with the Institute.

Nick had looked around the Airport with great interest as he was escorted passed the perimeter and saw that the Synths were combing through everything that the Brotherhood had amassed. They would document and photograph all artefacts before boxing them up and placing it into storage within the old airport terminal which had been thoroughly reinforced and secured.

Another team of synths had been in the process of dismantling a large metal contraption, it had taken Nick a while to realise it was the remains of a giant robot. Which meant that it could only be Liberty Prime, Nick had heard stories about the robot, but to actually see it was something else entirely.

The large airship _Prydwen_ had loomed overhead, according to X6 its design was being extensively studied by the Institute scientists, and its contents were being brought down to the Airport to be catalogued. On the ground synths had begun to construct a large metal cradle which would enable the airship to land securely.

A second construction project had also been underway, surrounding the cradle was the beginnings of what would be a large concrete hanger. It would eventually be large enough to envelope the airship and give it added protection.

Despite his great interest in the location, Nick had ignored everything else and focused on his reason for being here and told X6 to show him to the site of the battle. The damage caused in the battle was a sight to behold, especially as Nick had known Alec had been fighting on the ground.

Nick had questioned the synths who had been present in the battle with the assistance of X6, they all said that Arthur Maxson slipped away unnoticed when Liberty Prime had tried to obliterate Alec. The Brotherhood soldiers had fled the airport at the same time as their fallen leader, but the synths were certain Maxson had not been with them, they were being driven out of Boston by a large contingent of Coursers and Synth Patrollers.

What remained of Elder Maxsons power armour was a crumpled tin can, and from the crippled frame was a blood trail that led to a discarded stimpak. Nick saw firsthand how close Alec had come to killing the Elder and ended the war before it even started.

The rumour that Maxson had managed to escape on a vertibird seemed to be unfounded, all of the Vertibird were still immobile on the airport runways where they had crash landed.

So, the question had remained, where had the injured Elder gone?

Nick didn't know why, but his gut told him that despite the lack of evidence that there might be some truth to the rumours, and he had to follow the lead as the airport hadn't held the answers for him.

He had left the airport and managed to trek all the way to Revere Station when he had realised that he was being followed. Nick had thought it would be a Gunner or a Raider, so when he had challenged his hidden shadow, he had been shocked to see X6-88 step out of the shadows.

The duty of escorting Nick in his investigation had not been confined to the airport, Nick still didn't know how Alec had managed it and X6-88 never elaborated.

Begrudgingly Nick had accepted the presence of X6-88, if only because the courser would follow him even if Nick tried to dismiss him. Together they had set off towards Country Crossing, where Nick had hoped to find the trail of the mysterious vertibird.

Country Crossing had been a complete waste of time, it had taken a handful of Caps and a great deal of coaxing to get them to admit that they hadn't seen or heard a Vertibird since before the Battle. Nick had quickly left the settlement to ensure that X6 didn't try and get the money back from them.

Next, they had journeyed to Finch Farm where they had almost been shot by Abraham Finch for all their trouble. Old man Finch had thought that they were members of the Forged who resided in the old iron works to the north and was taking no chances.

Despite the near miss with a bullet they did however learn that a Vertibird had flown nearby as it had incited the drunk Forged to begin to try and shoot it down with some form of fire projectile weaponry.

Finally, with confirmation that a Vertibird had in fact been seen after the battle, they continued north along the river where the Finches said the Vertibird had gone, although they were careful to avoid the Forged stronghold and approached The Slog.

Years before a group of ghouls who had been forced from Diamond City had established the location as a Ghoul Safe Haven, free of the prejudice that had driven them from their homes. They had in time made their home the only reliable and commercial source of tarberries in the entire commonwealth.

When the Minutemen had reformed under General Carter, the people of the Slog had been among the first to seek out Minutemen protection and had contributed heavily to their cause due to the numerous threats the settlement had been facing. Trade had flourished because of the added protection and Caravans began to regularly stop by for shipments of tarberries.

That trade had enabled the Ghouls to build new accommodation for themselves and also expand their cultivation beds.

Protected by several armed guards and two turret nests on the roof of the main building, the settlement was well defended, and they were spotted before they could approach. High over the settlement flew the Minutemen flag which Nick knew was a symbol of pride.

Liam Wiseman stood at the main doors to greet them, he had recognised Nick instantly from when he had been a resident of Diamond City, he showed them inside the communal building, and they took a seat.

It had been years since Nick had seen Wiseman and they spent a good thirty minutes catching up with each other.

"Sorry to interrupt." X6 said having apparently grown bored with their reminiscing. "Mr Valentine is investigating reports of a Vertibird in the area, have you seen one?"

Nick wanted to strangle the courser for being so rude, he was a blunt instrument and Nick wondered if he should have made him stand guard outside. Wiseman on the other hand turned his keen eyes onto X6 and studied him closely.

"Interesting." He said in his deep croaking voice, "You're a courser. I have heard of your type."

Nick blinked shocked that Wiseman had recognised X6 for what he was and readied himself to try and smooth things over.

"Wiseman…" Nick began to say but the old ghoul spoke over him.

"What does the Institute want with this information?" Wiseman asked.

X6 didn't react at all just stared back at Wiseman which made Nick more nervous as he knew that coursers were quick to negotiate from behind the trigger of a gun or even over a corpse.

"I am here because of General Carter. He has engaged me to track down a stray Vertibird that is believed to have fled the battle of Boston airport. The General doesn't like the thought of the Brotherhood hiding within the Commonwealth and operating within its shadows." Nick said quickly hoping to defuse the tension, "The Finches thought they heard one flying this way and was shot at by the Forged."

The ghoul turned his suspicious look away from X6 and rubbed his blistered chin as he considered what Nick said.

"This was the night of the battle to the south you say?" He clarified deep in thought and seeing Nick nod he continued, "well I remember that all right, we were woken up by the Forged. They were shooting fire into the night sky and created a great ruckus. We had to stay up all night to make sure they didn't burn this place to the ground."

"Did you see a Vertibird?" Nick pressed, "or even here one? They are quite loud after all."

"Didn't see a Vertibird that night." Wiseman said confidently, "Hear one? Now that I cannot be sure now you ask, thinking back on that night, it is certainly possible a Vertibird could have caused all the noise, it was made by machinery."

Nick couldn't help but be disappointed, the Vertibird had come this way but Wiseman couldn't say where it had gone.

"Would your people have seen or heard anything more?" X6 asked, "Could we speak to them?"

Wiseman turned his gaze back to X6 with clear uneasiness, "You could, but I doubt you will get much more. We were worried about our home and livelihood being consumed by fire, that was our priority."

"Thank you but then we must move on." X6 said without any emotion. "We have a Vertibird to find."

Nick was about to deliver a biting remark to the courser when Wiseman spoke again.

"I might not know what happened to the one that led you here." He said, "But I did see one maybe a week or two later."

That was news to both Nick and X6, they had only heard the rumours of one Vertibird being seen, if so, where were they coming from if the Brotherhoods fleet was all accounted for?

"Where did you see it?" Nick asked, "This is the first we have heard of another Vertibird in the area."

Standing up Wiseman went to the main doors and gestured from them to follow and looked towards the south and pointed to a ridge.

"It took off from over that ridge, there is an old military bunker over there, it's the only place I can think it might have been." Wiseman informed them, "I watched it take off and then fly east until it was out of sight."

Nick and X6 exchanged a meaningful look with each other.

**o-Fallout-o**

Back in Vault 88, Alec was moving on to his next item of discussion.

"Next we have my proposal for a Freedom of Expression." Alec announced to the gathered leaders who began to read through the prepared copy provided to each of them.

"Now, I wanted to introduce this freedom because I have witnessed first-hand, a mayor of one of our settlements try and silence the press for publishing a story about them."

"A story it turns out was true." Hancock said darkly.

"We are well aware, thank you Mayor Hancock." Geneva said waspishly.

"You worked with that synth! How did you not know!" Hancock challenged, "Did you even care? Were you in on it?"

"How dare you!" She exclaimed, "I had no idea of his true origins! I might have been his secretary, but you were his brother! The truth was as much a mystery to me as it was to you!"

"At least I didn't sleep…" Hancock went to respond but Alec stopped him.

"Enough!" He said in a firm but quiet voice, he was not in the mood for their argument. "This line of talk will not get us anywhere. Let us move on."

Geneva backed down but she was throwing daggers at Hancock who only smirked at her in response.

Once everyone had calmed down Alec finally continued.

"So, the first part of the article will ensure that the council, and by extension the settlements can make no law to control the freedom of speech, the press or the right for people to peaceably assemble and petition the government."

"What does that mean?" Kessler asked, "You will need to explain that more before I vote."

"At its core, it means we have no control over people voicing their opinions, we cannot silence people we do not like or news we would not want reported." Alec explained. "For example, Geneva will be unable to expel Piper from Diamond City for publishing a story about her former boss and her having a dangerous love affair that ended in heartbreak when she discovered he was a synth."

"What!" Geneva shrieked indignantly, "That couldn't be further from the truth!

She cannot publish that."

"It is no different to her telling people verbally and spreading gossip." Adam pointed out, "This Right would protect Miss Wright and his newspaper from being directly controlled and influenced by officials."

"Would she not be held accountable for such lies?" Geneva asked desperately, obviously not liking the thought that the press had power she did not.

"Two hundred years ago it was possible to take the matter to court and have a judge decide such matters, if you won the case you would be awarded compensation and recompense." Alec explained carefully aware that most didn't have such an in-depth knowledge of history or the law. "But of course, we don't have a legal system yet. In fact, the best thing you could do Geneva would be to ignore it."

They took a moment to digest what he said, and he thought that they had at least grasped some of what he had said which he was glad of.

"That synth made a big mistake when he kicked Piper out of Diamond City." Kessler agreed, "it was not a show of strength, but a sign of weakness and vulnerability. He gave credence to the rumours and only made People more suspicious."

They continued to discuss the point further with different scenarios and eventually Alec was happy that they understood what it was supposed to achieve so he was able to move on.

"Now the next part of this article discusses religion and its practices, and that any government would make no laws regarding them." Alec said, "I myself do not follow a religion, but I know that some within the Commonwealth do."

"Like the Children of the Atom." Kessler distastefully.

"I have had run ins with their zealots." Hancock said venomously, "Never did like them much, tried to convert me to their church using a gamma gun."

The Overseer of Vault 81 looked conflicted however, "My vault has residents of numerous faiths and we have gotten on together for two centuries, the only stipulation we have is that religion is a private matter."

"I don't disagree with you Overseer." Alec stated before addressing the larger room, "It is no secret that I have no liking for the Children of Atom their worship of atomic power is dangerous. I also despise their use of nuclear or radiation-based weaponry."

Hancock snorted and looked at Alec sideways, "That's is putting it mildly, I heard it said that the Commonwealth Minutemen have been buying up any Nuclear weapons they can get their hands on to prevent their use."

Alec raised an eyebrow; it was not common knowledge that he had been taking such weapons off the board to stop their use.

"KL-E-0." Hancock said in way of an explanation.

Of course, the robot would have told the Mayor, she had sold several to the Minutemen over the last year. What weapons Alec had managed to purchase were currently being stored under the Castle and Ronnie was under orders not to allow them to be used under any circumstance.

"Looks like we are of a like mind on this issue." Alec acknowledged glad this his work on the article was not in vain as it was one of his more complicated issues that could have long term ramifications. "Very well shall we discuss the wording and see if we can agree on it?"

It didn't take long to discuss the point about religion, and they easily agreed to allow religions of all types so long as they abided three conditions. It was conducted privately and did not endanger health practitioners or lives of third parties.

The last aspect of the freedom that Alec had written, established a principle of national security. If the Commonwealth was to be united and become defendable, they would need to ensure certain intelligence and state secrets could not be released.

None of the members protested, each had their own secrets within their own territories that they would not like released after all.

"So, are we ready to move onto the next one?" Alec asked turning the page and looking at the next proposal he had made and wondered if he had the strength today to see it introduced and agreed to. We have some time before lunch so we can at least make a start."

When they all turned to the page he was looking at in their folders and read the title he watched their faces change and there was suddenly an atmosphere around the table, and they shifted uncomfortably.

"The Right of Equality. I can tell you all have opinions about this next one." Alec said quickly wanting to lay down the gauntlet and get it started. "let's jump straight in, shall we? At its core this right would ensure that our people are equal and cannot be discriminated against due to sex, race, colour, creed or national origin."

Unsurprisingly all of the leaders and their assistants voiced their opinions and the conference room became chaos, arguments broke out and they all tried to shout over each other. When he had wrote this proposal, he had known it would cause a great debate, it dealt closely with a very real issue that plagued the Commonwealth.

For fifteen minutes Alec let the room fill with shouting and arguing, hoping that they would wear themselves out but eventually he realised that wouldn't happen so had to intervene.

"So is sex the issue?" Alec said loudly managing to be heard through the voices, and they all turned to him agape but thankfully became silent. "Wow! I did not see that coming.

All of the delegates settled back into their seats slowly, but it was obvious they were still on edge and the slightest provocation would set them off once more.

"Sex?" Geneva said looking at him like he had grown another head, "of course it is not!"

"Very well." Alec said nodding happy to start somewhere, "Diamond City will accept equality based on sex, does any other settlement wish to challenge this?"

No one spoke up.

"Colour?" Alec continued but decided to skip over the one area that he thought caused the debate.

"Not in this age." Hancock said, "Those days are gone."

So, I would hope Alec said to himself, he had seen enough of that before the war. His father had been terribly vocal about the difference in skin colour but after everything Alec had seen he didn't put any stock in it.

"Creed or national origin?" Alec said and as he had expected no one raised an issue, "So it is just race that is the issue. So, who wants to point out their prejudice first?"

"It is not prejudice." Gwen said sternly, "Ghouls are dangerous."

"Why thank you." Hancock said smirking, "I do try and look dangerously roguish."

"Ghouls are no more dangerous than you are." Kessler pointed out, "I do a lot of business with the ghouls out at the Slog and Goodneighbour. They are polite and pay on time. I have no issue with your ordinary ghoul. Feral Ghouls however…"

"They are deadly." Geneva finished, "We have all heard of the mindless beasts that roam the wasteland. It is the reason they were expelled from Diamond City, people feared those that are like Mayor Hancock would become dangerous."

"Liar." Hancock snapped his light-heartedness gone now. "The only reason the ghouls were expelled is because they held some of the best real estate within Diamond City! All of which then got divided and redistributed. Some of those ghouls are as old as Alec here, relics of pre-war America."

"Ghouls go Feral, that is a known fact." Geneva refuted, "It was a safety precaution."

"It was discrimination!" Hancock responded banging his hand on the table, "that purge killed so many people, people who were responsible for building Diamond City in the first place!"

"I have met a lot of ghouls across the Commonwealth and as far away as Far Harbour." Alec said calmly, "I have met both Ferals and Ghouls, and there is a clear and evident difference between the two."

"All Ghouls turn Feral." Gwen stated, "It is a fact of the wasteland."

"Do they? That's an interesting fact and one that I would question." Alec said calmly, and he turned to Adam expectantly, "Adam, do you have knowledge of ghoul physiology?"

"I have a rudimentary understanding of the condition." Adam said and he looked around the room and frowned as if considering how to explain himself.

"The Institute made a study of the mutations in ghouls almost a century ago. The process of ghoulification is caused by exposure to concentrated levels of background radiation for an extended period. Radiation exposure will kill most humans, however for some they will undergo cellular mutation as their body adapts to the radiation."

It was an over simplified explanation. However, it was one that Alec could follow, and he was glad to see the others could likewise understand it or at least get the gist.

"Mutation is random." Adam continued, "a small percentage of humans will adapt to the radiation. Their bodies undergo a series of physiological changes, the most obvious being their scarred appearance, hair loss…"

"Just look at my handsome mug." Hancock said loudly, "It is a hit with the ladies."

"Mayor Hancock is correct." Adam continued, "another common trait is that their longevity. In other humans they will also undergo the same process but will suffer mental deterioration, revert to a primal state. In effect they become, to use the colloquial term, Feral."

The entire room was quiet after Adams explanation, they just stared at him. It was the most that Adam had said so far and reminded them of the scientific nature of the Institute who he represented.

"Is there any evidence of that a Ghoul can become a Feral?" Alec asked the room at large, "Each of you have a longer history with the Commonwealth that I, so do any of you have knowledge of a Ghoul that became Feral?"

"What does that matter? It is known!" Geneva stated firmly.

Hancock looked ready to punch the Interim Mayor and Alec placed a firm hand on his arm to stop him lunging across the table.

"No." Alec said tired of her prejudice, "There is no scientific basis in your belief. In fact, I personally see no difference between a Hancock and myself. However, I know my view is not a common one so I will instead refer to ghouls as a different race, but I insist that they have the same rights as humans."

"Thanks Alec." Hancock muttered.

"My people will never accept ghouls within our population." Gwen said delicately, "I do not disagree with your view Alec, in fact I think Adams explanation of the biology behind the ghoul condition makes sense. My people are…"

"Xenophobic to anyone not of Vault 81." Alec finished knowingly, "I was fortunate enough to be a fellow Vault Dweller but even I was looked down on by some of your people Gwen."

She looked uncomfortable but to her credit she did not shy away from the truth.

"I am aware of my people's views towards the surface." She admitted, "However we are learning to be more accepting, my attendance here is a step towards integrating with the surface world."

They debated the equal rights of ghouls for another twenty minutes and Alec found it amazing that Hancock managed to stay calm, although he found his baiting commentary was not helping matters.

In the end they came to an agreement, Ghouls would be protected under Right to Equality, but it did not apply to the Ferals that roamed the Commonwealth. It would take a lot longer for ghouls to be accepted within all the settlements of the Commonwealth, however Alec thought this would be a step in the right direction and one that he would be sure to enforce.

Next, they discussed the categorisation of Super Mutants as a race. None of delegates looked favourably on Super Mutants but they were able to agree that they were a race and were of reasonable intelligence.

Adam remained mute on the fact that the super mutants of the Commonwealth had all been created by the Institute which Alec was thankful for, but he realised it was just another secret he held back.

Eventually the floor opened to the last remaining race that they would need to discuss. Synths. And it was the one topic that caused such passion and could divide them all. All of the people at the table had an opinion and one of the most vocal was Adam.

"Synths are the property of the Institute." Adam asserted, "They have no rights or freedoms, they are just tools."

"How can you say that." Hancock asked, "You are a synth."

"Yes, but I am only here representing the interest and agenda of the Institute. I do this not out of freewill but due to artificial programming." He added, "A Synth should have no freedoms."

"What of Nick Valentine?" Hancock countered heatedly, "You made the case he has no affiliation to the Institute and is a citizen of the Commonwealth. Does he not deserve protection against prejudice?"

"I…" Adam said but stopped, not able to argue with Hancock since he had made that argument. It was an interesting conflict within his programming. Alec was about to intervene but decided against it, he wanted to know how it would play out. "Mr Valentine is a unique case."

"Why?" Gwen asked, "What makes him so different, even to you?"

Adam sat silently for a long moment and all eyes were on him as he considered the question put to him and it was easy to tell that he was struggling to quantify an argument that would win him the debate but also not undermine his previous assertions.

"He is a citizen of the Commonwealth, fully self-imbedded within its culture." Adam eventually said, "The Institute might have created Mr Valentine, but he has lived independently for decades without any guiding programming."

"That is one fine line you draw." Hancock with distaste, "something I have come to expect from your Institute."

Old man Stockton, Alec saw, leaned forward, and spoke into Kessler's ear and she frowned before nodding in response.

"So, what is your stance about those Synths live outside the oversight of the Institute." She asked, "Do they get the same protection as Mr Valentine?"

A small smile appeared on Adams synthetic features and he looked at Kessler knowingly, "You mean those Synths who have been misappropriated by the Railroad? Then no, they are still our property and therefore have no rights or freedom."

The room exploded with protests again and Alec was unable to calm it down this time and after half and hour he gave up and adjourned for lunch and was relieved when he was left alone within the meeting room.

He had expected today would not be easy, given the nature of what he was proposing. However, he now resented Dr Ayo even more for his lack of sleep and his irritation.

Getting up to make his way down to the canteen to get something to eat became aware that someone was standing staring at him at the door.

"What do you want Stockton?" Alec asked expectantly his irritation getting the better of him.

"I was just wondering." He said stepping inside and closing the door, "Do you have a Geiger counter?"

Alec look at Stockton sharply, finally getting confirmation of something he had suspected since he had discovered Amelia Stockton being held captive by the people of Covenant. The town and the facility had been wiped out after he had gone, by some unknown force that he had originally believed to have been the Institute but now he thought it might have been the Railroad.

"I'm sorry?" Alec said feigning ignorance, not wishing to discuss anything with this Railroad agent, not when he could go and speak to Desdemona herself. "You don't need to worry about radiation within Vault 88."

Old Man Stockton frowned confused but didn't push him, "Not to worry then, I thought…"

"Whatever you thought is not important." Alec stated, "But we have a short break for lunch and I really, really need some coffee."

**o-Fallout-o**

X6-88 had tried to insist that Nick head straight for the bunker that Wiseman had spoken of, but Nick had ignored him. Instead he had spent the better part of the morning speaking to all of the ghouls to make sure that none had seen anything else.

All of their accounts were consistent however, none had seen a Vertibird the night of the battle. It was only then did Nick decided that he was ready to move on.

They hiked across the ridge and eventually found the Bunker that wiseman spoke of and were surprised to find that it also had a helipad. With that discovery they made their way down to investigate it closer.

While the Vertibird was long gone, X6-88 found a puddle of dirty oil residue on the helipad floor which was still slightly damp. There was also several boxes of scrap material and a broken blowtorch, it was possible that the Vertibird here had been damaged and needed repairs.

The bunker itself was an ordinary pre-war military installation, it had once been protected by two laser turrets both of which had been destroyed by laser fire if the burn residue was anything to go by.

Inside, they an elevator next to an old wall terminal which was till functional and it took Nick only twenty minutes to crack the encryption and bypass the security firewall and activated the rickety old elevator and they both descended down into the subterranean structure.

The first thing that Nick noticed was that the bunker was unusually clean for a structure pre-war. The entrance above had been full of debris, rubbish, and in disarray, whereas everything below ground was tidy.

"Any ideas what this place was?" Nick asked X6-88 looking around, there were banks of server towers and electrical consoles everywhere, all of which looked in relatively good condition.

X6 took off his sunglasses for the first time and looked around the structure with great interest and had a look over the work stations, "This all looks like equipment used to intercept and monitor radio communications, I think this was called a listening station before the War."

Nick absorbed that information and looked around, there were crates of supplies around the room, all of which were full of electrical equipment and pre war packaged food and various other supplies. There were signs of recent repairs having been carried out to the structure, fresh concrete patches and a well-stocked workshop area.

"This place is very well equipped." Nick pointed out, "never seen a pre-war structure like this, it's clean and tidy."

X6 didn't disagree with him, he pulled out a chair and sat down at a working terminal and began to go through its contents which left Nick to continue to investigate.

The second room looked to have been living quarters for however lived here, there were two steel beds, a desk and some filing cabinets and even more crates. However, he also found military equipment, medical supplies and three bottles of old bourbon.

Next to the bed was an old trashcan which contained soiled bandages and two depleted stimpaks, the blood on the bandages was dark brown and going black but given the state of the bandages they were only recently discarded.

Nick was riffling through an old military chest and pushed aside a large worn leather coat to see what else he might find when X6-88 called him.

"Mr Valentine." X6 called loudly, "I was correct, this is a listening station and whoever was here was using the equipment to listen in on all Brotherhood of Steel communications. These computers monitor all of their frequencies, some of which are unknown even to the Institute."

"Interesting." Nick hummed and he went to open a drawer to one of the stations but his mechanical hand malfunctioned and he quickly hid it from X6-88 not wanting the Institute to know that he was slowly breaking down. "Why would someone be monitoring the Brotherhood? Well apart from your people that is, and they are obviously familiar with them to know their frequencies."

X6-88 turned around at his comment and frowned at him.

"The Brotherhood of Steel is not without enemies." X6 told him, "The Institute is not the only one who closely monitors them. I am sure you monitored them yourself, you are a synth and you know their opinions on synthetic beings."

Nick nodded and went back to the trashcan and brought it back to X6-88 to show him the contents, "Whoever was here was injured."

"Could be Maxson." X6 stated looking keenly at the soiled contents, "General Carter wounded him quite badly if the blood trail at the Airport was anything to go by."

"Perhaps." Nick said, "It will need testing to see if this is a match to the blood samples taken from the airport."

"We won't know for sure until they are tested, I assume the Institute could do a blood analysis?" Nick questioned and at receiving the flat stare of X6 he just snorted. Of course, the Institute could do a blood analysis, they created a synthetic human.

Nick looked at the bandages and wondered if he should ask Alec to borrow Dogmeat, he might be able to track Maxson from the Airport. They would lose the scent if he used a Vertibird, but they would at least find out where he found one, if the rumours were true at any rate.

"Have you found anything on that terminal?" Nick asked out of interest, X6 looked very engrossed.

"Many old entries, Pre-war by the dates and their content." X6 replied and he frowned, "however some are about the Brotherhoods activities before the battle. And I think I have just found out who! A Paladin Danse, odd that a paladin would spy on his own Brotherhood."

Nick looked at X6 in surprise, "You don't know him?"

"No." X6 stated looking bewildered, "why would I know of him before the battle I was not assigned to any Brotherhood monitoring teams."

"Boy your SRB really does like to compartmentalise doesn't it." Nick stated shaking his head, "Paladin Danse is a synth. He was programmed and created to serve the Institute from within the Brotherhood. Alec told me about it when we travelled to Far Harbour, Danse was forced to flee when his identity was uncovered."

The courser didn't look at all surprised and accepted the fact he was in the dark easily.

"This must have been where he landed after running away." Nick said.

Looking over the bunker and realised that it showed the Discipline, neatness, and organisation of a trained and conditioned soldier, those were hard habits to break, let alone when they were actually programmed directly into you.

"Becoming self-aware is dangerous." X6 said, "Danse was not supposed to know the truth and would have had certain safeguards in place. It can be very hard for a synth to adjust to the truth of their origins. You should read this entry Mr Valentine."

Wondering what X6 had found Nick walked over and read the entry over his shoulder.

'_As the minutes tick by and I stare at the walls of this godforsaken place, I'm still trying to cope with the reality that I have lived a lie. My identity and memories as Paladin Danse are a lie, implanted into me when I was built by the Institute. I have wondered why this happened to me, but it doesn't matter. I am a synth. A freak of nature, a perversion of science and an example of where…_'

Thinking about what X6-88 had said about the difficulties a synth could have when it became self-aware after living a lie, he wondered if Danse had meant the entry to be a suicide note. It was possible that the bandages and stimpaks were from a failed attempt to end his life, but that just made Nick wonder if a Synth could kill itself.

"There are more." X6 said in surprised finding more entries, "Read this."

'_Things to the south remain the same. Elder Maxson has punished those responsible for the conflict, however I fear that will not be enough. General Carter has returned now, I heard his broadcast. It doesn't surprise me that Elder Maxson invited Carter aboard the Prydwen to negotiate an end to the hostilities, but I worry about what will happen. I do not think an agreement can be made. I fear what will come next.' _

"He was closely monitoring the escalating tension to the south." Nick pointed out and he looked at the date or the almost suicide letter and remembered that day well, it was when the Warwick Homestead was razed by the Brotherhood.

Seeing an ordinary radio nearby the station he flicked it on, and it fizzed to life and he heard Travis reporting about the Brotherhood leaving the Commonwealth. Diamond City Radio had been closely following the story of the Brotherhood aggression, he would have heard both sides of the conflict.

"There is another entry from the day of the battle." X6 said bringing up the entry with the stoke of a few buttons.

'_The signals from the Airport and Prydwen have all ceased broadcasting at once. I don't know what has happened, I have the unshakable feeling that General Carter might have done what I would have thought impossible. Did he outsmart Elder Maxson? Or did the Elder underestimate him? The two of them are remarkably similar to each other, if anyone could defeat Elder Maxson it might be Alec. But could the Brotherhood lose to the Minutemen? I always thought that impossible, or Danse did at any rate. I… The outside defences have been triggered… Someone is here… They have activated the elevator…' _

"The synth still believed in the Brotherhoods superiority." X6 said stoically, "he thought they would win that battle, they did not foresee the Minutemen and Institute working together towards a common goal."

"I don't think anyone foresaw that happening pal." Nick quipped sarcastically, Danse however had been right, only Alec could have brought the Minutemen and Institute together in such a way to be able defeat the Brotherhood.

'_My time in exile is over, it is time for me to leave this place, I have been given a second chance and a new purpose and I will not disappoint. General Carter might have won the battle at the airport, but the war is far from over, this much is clear to me. The Vertibird is repaired, we will head east and find our exiled Brothers and report into the Lost Hills. We must regroup and rebuild and in time we shall return. I am once more Paladin Danse of the Brotherhood of Steel, Ad Victoriam._'

Nick pulled out a cigarette and began to smoke as his synthetic brain processed everything they had learnt from the bunker and the investigation so far.

"This does not confirm that Arthur Maxson came here." X6 said disappointedly as he began to transfer the entries from the terminal onto a holotape, "Your investigation must continue."

"No." Nick said slowly, his glowing amber eyes piercing into the concrete walls as if they would give him an answer to what they had seen within the bunker. He was certain everything was pointing to Arthur Maxson having been here but lacked the evidence he needed to prove his hunch.

**O-FALLOUT-O**

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**O-FALLOUT-O**

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**O-FALLOUT-O**


	9. Chapter 9

Fallout 4: The Rise of the M.C.R

**Chapter Nine**

**The last proposals**

The day was finally over within Vault 88, all of the delegates had retired for the evening with the promise of another feast curtesy of the Vault 88 kitchens and their host had quickly fled to his personal quarters.

Following lunch, they had once plunged headfirst into the complicated issue of a synths place within Commonwealth Society. Even with the break, the passion on the subject had not cooled and they had quickly resumed the heated debate.

It came as no surprise when the Institute continued to argue its own position, a synth was a machine and therefore couldn't be afforded any rights or freedoms as they were not alive. Others pushed to have all synths destroyed, while others believed and argued that synths were equal to humans, were slaves, and should be freed.

Finding a middle ground had seemed impossible.

In the end, Vault 81's Overseer, Gwen McNamara, managed to find a path towards an agreement. She proposed that they would recognise synths as a race of being within the Commonwealth, however they would be exempt from the protections of the Right of Equality unless given citizenship within one of their settlements.

Unlike before, her proposal was not immediately shot down but instead was considered carefully.

The compromise was a good one, but Alec suddenly found himself in a vicarious position as Director of the Institute. The Directorate would never agree to it, it would be too much too soon for them, he needed to let the hammer fall slowly.

Luckily, Adam did his job as representative of the Institute, he agreed with most of her proposal however argued for one additional stipulation. One that Alec thought was interesting, and he thought the Institute had planned to use to ensure its greatest creation was safe.

A Synth would be afforded the protection of the Right of Equality, only if it was given citizenship within a settlement and if proven sentient.

Sentience was not a subject Alec was overly familiar with, but he understood enough to understand the concept but would be making a request to the Directorate on all information on the subject.

It didn't fully address the issue, however it created a path for the future which could allow for a synth to become a part of recognised society. It was not ideal Alec thought to himself, but it was at least a start and might be as far they could get for now.

The delegates had eventually agreed to this amendment to the proposal Alec had made and he was sure to write it word for word to be typed up later.

Finally, they had moved on to the last part of the Right that he had wrote up and it had taken only ten minutes for it to be agreed. It allowed the Government to punish any settlement for any breaches of the right.

With a few hours until dinner, Alec decided to push on to the last motion for the day. It had been the Right of Autonomy, which officially granted sovereignty to settlements within defined borders. It also prevented all other settlements who would sign the agreement from interfering, influencing or directly controlling another.

This had been the only way for Alec to formally curtail the Institutes and its nefarious practices.

All of the delegates were keen to come to an agreement, recognising that they would be protected from the Institute, and the Institute would also be free from reprisals from the others. Only Bunker Hill had wavered before eventually agreeing due to its trading relations, which Alec had needed to smooth over but had been able to not have it written into the agreement.

The right also ensured that each settlement must implement a free election every four years to appoint its leader, which gave them the authority to govern their territory officially and would be recognised by the government.

In turn, each settlement would be given a seat on the government council and given a vote and a voice on the future of the Commonwealth.

Diamond City and Bunker Hill already held elections every five years so for them it would only mean small changes. The Institute had workable framework already in place with the Directorate but even they would need to make some changes. The two settlements that would need to change the most were Sanctuary Hills and Goodneighbour.

While Alec was representing Sanctuary Hills and negotiating in their name, he was not officially the leader of the island settlement. He was acting in their best interest however, if he was successful, he would make the settlement a key player but would set out a plan to meet the requirement of the proposal he had written.

Goodneighbour was also quite different, the transfer of power from Mayor to Mayor was not based on an election it usually came at the end of a knife or bullet. This change would likely not be popular, but Hancock had barely batted an eye, confident that he had the support of the people. Although Alec wondered if he was thinking of his own safety as well, less likely to face a coup with this right in effect.

With a final vote the right was agreed to Alec had been happy to escape the meeting room. All he wanted to do was go to sleep, he was exhausted but as always there was a lot of things that required his attention.

He would never admit it aloud, but within Vault 88 he was very happy to have Administrator Barstow, as much as he didn't like her, she ensured things within run smoothly but he outside he had no one like her.

Two dispatches had arrived during the day, one from the Minutemen and another from the Institute both of which needed his attention. He also had the day's amendments to type up along with preparing for what he hoped would be the last day of negotiations.

All day a team of Vault 88 drones had been working within the Reactor Room and had been making repairs and modifications to the radio transmitter. Having synths working up in the public areas had been a risk but they had managed to get the work done during the day's session without notice.

Not managing to stifle a huge yawn Alec looked at the mound of paperwork and was defeated, he didn't have the energy to do any of it. Instead he made his way upstairs to his bedroom, kicked off his boots and turned on the radio.

If he wasn't going up to the reactor room, he should at least listen to the broadcast that Piper was going to make he thought to himself. He picked up the infernal alarm clock from where he had thrown it that morning and groaned as he set another exceedingly early alarm.

With a great sigh he all but collapsed on the bed fully clothed with his face in the pillow and he listened to a song he hadn't heard before.

"…I hope you'll enjoyed that last song. That was the lovely Magnolia of Goodneighbour, singing her new number, The Unconquerable Man. Now I promised you all a surprise tonight, so take a seat, pour yourself a drink and get comfortable."

"For the first time in history we are getting a Simulcast from both Diamond City and Vault 88!" Travis said eagerly, "tonight Diamond City Radio will feature a live report from Piper Wright of Publick Occurrences. So welcome Piper!"

"Hey Travis." Piper said politely, "Hello Diamond City and to all of the people of the Commonwealth! I am here in Vault 88 and have been given a front row seat for these historic talks. I will report more on that at a later date."

"You won't even confirm the rumours that General Carter has brought together the leaders of the largest communities in the Commonwealth in response to the defeat of the Brotherhood of Steel?" Travis complained, "Come on Piper, give us a sneak peek! We know that Mayor McDonough and Geneva were escorted by the Minutemen."

"Vault 88 is hosting the leaders of Bunker Hill, Diamond City, Goodneighbour, Sanctuary Hills, Vault 81 and even the elusive Institute!" Piper replied, "I have had…"

"Sorry Piper but did you say the Institute!" Travis asked shocked, "They have come to this meeting?"

"General Carter invited them personally." Piper said calmly, "I was as shocked as any of you listening when I found out, but they are beginning to work with the General. As a show of good faith, the Institute Representative revealed the identity of one of their synth duplicates to the leaders of the Commonwealth Communities."

"They actually revealed a synth?" Travis cried out in awe. "Who was it?"

"None other than Diamond City's own Mayor." Piper said enthusiastically, "Guy McDonough was a synth, and has been guiding our city since his election!"

"Piper can you tell us more?" Travis said having grown serious now.

"Mayor McDonough was deactivated by the Institute Representative, Adam Jefferson, with a spoken verbal shutdown code. It was like a flick of a switch!" Piper explained, "As you all can imagine, the delegates here in Vault 88 were outraged by this revelation, but they hope this is start of open relations with the Institute in the future."

"What does this mean for Diamond City?" Travis asked, "I can hear that there is an outrage from here."

"Geneva Springfield…."

Whatever Piper had said was completely lost on Alec as he had fallen asleep.

He was completely unaware that the interview was being listened to across the Commonwealth by all of whom were shocked but were listening closely. The talk of General Carter summoning the leaders of the Commonwealth was big news they all wanted to know what it meant.

**o-FALLOUT-o**

The Brotherhood had fallen from grace, it had been dealt a serious defeat at the hands of the General of the Commonwealth Minutemen. The retreat had been ordered as the General crippled Liberty Prime and what remained of the Brotherhood had fled the airport on foot with only the clothes on their backs.

For years, the strength of the Brotherhood had been symbolised by power armour, Vertibird and even the Prydwen. Yet that strength had been completely crippled and stripped from them, it was a humbling experience for the proud and elitists soldiers.

Elder Maxson was lost to them, the last of the Maxson bloodline killed in the battle and now the Brotherhood was without its greatest soldier and leader.

Leaderless and homeless, the Brotherhood needed someone to blame for there misfortune and so fixated on the Commonwealth. It was General Carter and his alliance with the degenerate Institute and the abominations they called synths who brought an end to Maxson's vision of the East Coast Chapter of the Brotherhood.

Proctor Ingram and Quinlan took command of group, they understood that people blamed the Commonwealth for what had happened, but they felt that it would never have happened had it not been for Proctor Teagan. The man had somehow managed to survive the battle, and they were keen to keep him away from command, but he was a radroach, a survivor and they kept a vigilant eye on him.

It had been a hard march out of Boston, they had been keen to put distance between themselves and the airport. They had thought to regroup at the Cambridge Police Station but that was had not been possible.

Their enemy was unrelenting, they had tried to rest but a large contingent of synths was pursuing them and forced them to keep travelling west and did not let them pause. The squires were confused and exhausted and the soldiers had to carry them as they were dead on their feet.

After several days of hard travel and only a few hours rest a day they stumbled across the pre-war border between Connecticut and Massachusetts. It was only then that the synths stopped their pursuit, and they realised that the Brotherhood was expelled not from Boston but the entire Commonwealth.

The Brotherhood needed to rest, regroup, and restock before anything else, and they made camp in the Motorway Golf Club, salvaging whatever they could find from the old building. It had been a humbling experience the first night in the club, many of them used to comforts of the Prydwen.

What came next was a matter of much talk within the camp. The future of the East Coast Chapter was in question and without Elder Maxson they were lost, his dream and mission at an end. For now, Proctor Ingram and Quinlan concentrated on survival.

The following day they had left the golf club and ventured further to the west where they made another camp within the ruins of an old abandoned town called Thompson. They needed supplies, resources, and any technology they could find if they were to call for aid from the Citadel and they hoped the town had some of what they needed.

Scavenging the town for whatever they could only increased the ire they felt for the Commonwealth, they had been reduced to being lowly Scavvers. They had suffered several injuries from Ferals and Mongrels they infested the ruined town, but they had been fortunate not to lose a single member since the Battle.

Proctor Ingram and Quinlan had set themselves up within a makeshift workshop surrounded by whatever technology they could find. So far what they had found was useless and that didn't look like it was going to change.

Sitting at a workbench, Ingram tinkered with an old beaten up radio trying to make it functional once again. Cannibalising parts from other electronics she had replaced many components and even managed to fashion a new antenna for extended range.

Replacing a final vacuum tube suddenly the old radio spluttered to life and began to hum with electricity. Quinlan heard the static from the speakers and came to join her as Ingram turned the dials and tuned it to a several frequencies.

There was no sign of any Brotherhood frequencies that they could detect, no beacon had been deployed which meant they were alone. It had been a hopeful endeavour, but they at least had to try.

Instead Ingram tuned the radio to a different frequency and with the new antenna was able to pick up a familiar radio broadcast. The two of them sat and listened to it, learning a great deal about what had happened since the battle and none of it was good news.

Their enemy was mobilising and consolidating that much was clear to them but to what end?

"This is not good." Quinlan said in a low voice, "a fractured Commonwealth was able to do this to us, what could a United Commonwealth do?"

"Then we have to prevent that from happening." Ingram stated, "For Elder Maxson."

"This town doesn't have what we will need." Quinlan said, "We need to find a better strategic location, a new stronghold to operate from. We watch the Commonwealth and try to stop them from growing in power. What we need is time, time to rebuild our chapter and time to coordinate our response to this attack."

**o-FALLOUT-o**

The day started much earlier in Vault 88 than its Overseer would have preferred, but when the alarm clock sounded he woke groggily but at least fell more well rested than the day before. He washed away the previous day with a hot shower and got himself ready for the day ahead wondering what the negotiations would bring.

All of his documents was exactly where he had left it, laying on a pile on his desk and Alec forced himself to sit down and begin to read though them all. The Institute had provided him with a detailed account of everything that had happened at the Airport since the battle.

According to the Institute the Airport was thoroughly secured and apart from several attacks from the Gunners and Raiders it have been relatively quiet which had allowed the teams of synths to thoroughly search and document everything.

They had included a note about Detective Valentine an account of what he had done while at the airport. It had amused Alec to hear the undertone of suspicion and disapproval from the writer directed at the synth detective. However, it gladdened him to know that Nick was following the trail of the missing Elder and that X6-88 was helping him.

Thanks to the Relay he was even given a report from the large squad of coursers and patrollers that had been driving the Brotherhood out of the Commonwealth and had pushed them over the border between Massachusetts to Connecticut. Elder Maxson was not among them according to the report which worried Alec, as he needed to know where the man was.

He hoped Nick would find him, or at least shed some light on his whereabouts.

Dr Ayo had left Alec a note in the dispatch, telling him that he had posted what he called Watchers at the border and would continue to monitor the situation. What a Watcher was, he didn't know but assumed it was a synth that specialised in surveillance.

Turning his attention from the Institute to the Minutemen, Alec began to read the roughly written reports on dirty old paper that had come from the Castle. They report made Alec aware that the Raiders were growing restless and that they were becoming emboldened, the weather was getting colder was not a favourable report.

He put the two reports aside and tried to put the surface out of his mind for now, it wasn't going anywhere, and he could do more for it if he focused on his work in the vault. Typing up the notes from the previous day of negotiations was no quick thing but was pleased he did it without a mistake. He despised the typewriter, but Kate had always said he had poor handwriting, in fact she always teased him about it and questioned if he should not have been a doctor.

It was ironic now given his position in the Institute he thought to himself.

Once his work was done, Alec had left his office intent on grabbing a good breakfast but as he stepped out into the Atrium he froze. During the night someone had hung fairy lights and decorations throughout the Atrium and even erected a large artificial tree.

It felt odd seeing the decorations hanging so festively here in Vault 88, out in the Commonwealth Christmas was barely marked by the people it was seen as extravagant or an overindulgence. You could quite easily forget it was supposed to be a festive time, it was in stark comparison to his memories of Christmas before the Great War.

He was stirred from his thoughts when someone tapped him on the shoulder, and he had jumped startled.

"Are you alright Boss?" McCready asked looking concerned, "You look like you seen a ghost."

"Fine." Alec said faintly.

It occurred to him now that it was a year to the day since he had broken into the Institute and finally found his son. His Christmas present that year had been reconnecting and learning about the son he had lost who had been older than he was. Thinking back on it, Alec couldn't decide if that had been a good Christmas or not.

"I was just reminded of my family and times long since passed."

A look of deep understanding crossed McCreadys face Alec saw, and he wondered at it, but didn't want to pry. There was a lot about McCready's past that Alec did not know about, he was very tight lipped about it but believed he actually did understand what Alec had meant if his face was anything to go by.

"You getting some chow?" McCready asked pointing towards the cafeteria, "I just got off the night shift and could use some."

"Sure." Alec said and followed him inside the cafeteria and was served some food and coffee and he was reminded of something. "You came here from the Capital Wastes, how long did that journey take you?"

McCready didn't look at all surprised by the question, but thought about it for a moment, "It took me about three months to cross the distance, but that's because I took work here and there as I found it and explored some of the old medical ruins I came across."

That was interesting Alec thought, he wondered again just why McCready had come north and what the man had told him when they first met about following the work seemed like a half truth.

"If I didn't take those jobs and stop to look around and scavenge." He continued between bites of his omelette, "I maybe could have made the journey in just under a month, barring any mishaps. It was a long and arduous journey."

Nodding Alec took a bite of his own omelette and relished the good food of Vault 88 and didn't look forward to returning to the surface and eating wasteland tucker when he eventually left. If what MacCready said was true, then the Brotherhood should have been near Washington, but they were lingering near the border.

"The Brotherhood was not prepared or provisioned for that journey." MacCready pointed out to him, "You caught them with their pants down."

Alec didn't disagree and he wondered if they would all survive the journey and he worried about the squires, children who would need to adapt to life in the Wasteland.

Unfortunately for Alec, his friend ate very quickly and didn't stick around as his bed was calling and he wasn't about to get in the way. Instead he was suddenly besieged by Piper who was looking for more information on the ongoing talks and it seemed she had a taste for the radio and was thinking about doing it again.

Geneva had come and asked Alec to get information about how Diamond City was dealing with the revelation that its Mayor was a synth, she had spent the evening listening to the radio and was very concerned and felt that the city needed leadership and he had to talk her out of leaving.

He saw Mayor Kessler coming and had to suppress a groan as he dreaded what she would want from him.

However, he was saved by the most unlikely of people. Valery Barstow, she took the seat opposite him and she told him that she had planned a night of mild festivities given that it was Christmas Eve. While Alec did not enjoy her company, her presence was enough to keep the others away and he was able to finish his meal in peace and make some changes for the proposals he had for the delegation today without being disturbed.

By the time it was nine o'clock all of the delegates were in the conference room waiting for Alec to arrive, and it was much calmer this morning which Alec was very grateful for but only made him more nervous about his first item of the day.

"Good morning." Alec said bracingly as he took his seat. "I hope you all are sitting comfortably and are well rested. Today might be the final day of our negotiations, I only have a few more proposals to put in front of you so I beg your continued indulgence."

"Together we are building the foundations of our United Commonwealth. Everything we do now has great implications for our future. Now I hope that today will be less heated than the debates of yesterday, however, I believe the first item for discussion today might be deemed controversial by many of you."

The room was silent, and they watched him warily and Alec couldn't help but give a small smirk, he had made several of them nervous with just those words.

Pulling out the proposal, he read through it briefly to before he began and wondered if it was too much too soon, was he being too ambitious? But he needed them to agree to it, so he pressed on.

"Before the Great War this was a controversial topic and I don't imagine that will have changed in two centuries." Alec said flatly and he looked around the room and noticed the raised eyebrows and the apprehensive looks. "The Right to Keep and Bear Arms."

"Well now this should be interesting." Hancock muttered to Alecs left but said nothing else.

Before any of them could jump to interject and try to denounce the prospect of such a proposal he held up a hand to stall them.

"First I should say, I fully acknowledge that the Commonwealth is an unpredictably dangerous place and our citizens must be able to protect themselves from its threats." Alec said firmly wanting to ensure he was not misunderstood, "that being said, I do believe that it should be regulated and controlled."

The room was silent as they digested what he said, and he saw several of them exchange looks as if daring each other to be the first to speak on this matter. In the end, it was the Mayor of Bunker Hill who spoke out.

"Why?" Kessler asked confused, "for decades the caravans have sold weapons, why should this be controlled by anyone?"

Her opinion, Alec saw, was shared by many of the people in the room.

"My people do not have access to weapons." Gwen pointed out, "only our security forces have access to the weapon lockers. We regulate our peoples access to such things.

"You live in a vault." Geneva said somewhat dismissively.

Seeing the start of an argument brewing so early in the morning, Alec quickly spoke before Gwen could retort.

"I understand your point, Bunker Hill traders have sold weapons for decades. Tell me, how many of those weapons then got into the hands of Raiders?" Alec asked pointedly but knew that she would still argue her point.

"The Caravans merely sell the weapons, what our customers do…"

"You sell a raider a gun and the first thing he does is shoot your daughter in the head with it." Alec interjected loudly and was happy to see her gasp in horror. "Tell me who would you blame?"

Mayor Kessler shifted uncomfortably in her seat, and she tried to form a counter to his point but failed.

"If your people sell explosives of some sort and the buyer then blows up the Schoolhouse in Diamond City and killed all of the children, can you say that is not your fault?" He challenged them all, "should the average citizen be better armed and equipped than your own security forces?"

"You have made your point Alec." Kessler said reluctantly.

"Do you think your citizens should have access to nuclear bombs, missiles, grenades and mines, which would endanger not only themselves but all of your people." Alec continued unrelenting in his intent to ensure his point was delivered, "I talk in extremes but all of what I have said is entirely possible because these weapons are freely available to anyone with the Caps in their pocket."

Hancock looked intrigued by what he said, "I assume you have an idea what would be allowed to be owned by civilian peoples?"

"Yes, I believe our civilians would be capable of protecting themselves with pistols shotguns and rifles. It has been my intention to limit only to pistols, but I am aware that shotguns and rifles are needed for farming. I would however say that civilians should only be able to access firearms and maybe lasers but most definitely not plasma-based weapons."

No one challenged his view which was encouraging but he didn't think he had them in agreement yet, so he continued.

"All other weaponry would be accessible to the Military, or the defences forcers of the settlements, however even then some weapons would be extremely restricted if not banned entirely."

"I assume you mean nuclear weaponry." Hancock stated knowingly, "you make a good point but that is as they say a minefield if you don't mind the expression."

Alec looked at his friend and smiled "A man can hope, but that is an argument for another day I think."

He had hoped to get the proposal agreed without one particular issue being raised but it was wishful thinking as Geneva found its soft underbelly.

"I understand your thoughts behind what you are trying to introduce here Alec." She said, "I actually do not disagree with you at all. But those weapons are already out there, and they are not in short supply. How do you suppose to combat them?"

It was an exceptionally good question and one he hated as he didn't have an answer for it yet despite trying to find a solution.

"I don't know." He said honestly, "However the first step would be to make this a part of Commonwealth law. Only then can we work out the logistics of the problem."

"Goodneighbour will not like this." Hancock pointed out, "I say this not because I disagree with your point Alec, or because I don't want no law to say what I can and cannot have. I foresee that this will cause the creation of a black market which would be beyond our reach."

Alec wasn't at all surprised that it would be difficult sell for the people of Goodneighbour given that they represented the criminal elements of the Commonwealth.

"History shows that this is a likely outcome." Gwen nodded, "The Prohibition is the best example that comes to mind."

The rest of the occupants looked confused by her historical reference, but Alec understood her point and it did worry him as they didn't have any way to combat it yet.

Discussions continued for an hour and it was a divisive issue, but they didn't actually disagree with his proposal and the principles behind it. It was the later issues that they were worried about but agreed that there should be a separation of civilian and military weapons repertoires.

"While our people will have the right to carry weapons while in public for self-defence purposes, they must however remain holstered." Alec continued wasn't surprised there was no complaints, "If a person decided to brandish a that weapon, which would be illegal, and they would be arrested and punished."

Hancock snorted, "Well anyone waving their weapon about in public is just looking for trouble."

"That is crude even for you." Alec said shaking his head at his friend.

The next challenge came from the Overseer of Vault 81.

"As some of you will be aware, Vault 81 has begun to offer medical care to surface dwellers. However, we insist that all weapons are handed over before they entered and are returned when they leave." She said firmly showing how resolute she was on this point, "the same process we followed when entering this vault."

"What is your point Gwen." Kessler asked frowning in confusion.

She looked around the table and realised she hadn't been understood at all. "Would Vault 81 breaching this right with this stipulation?"

"I understand your point Overseer McNamara." Adam said thoughtfully, "Do our settlements have the prerogative to implement such policies?"

"What about Rylee?" Alec asked thinking on his feet, "She is a trader operating out of your Vault and on your behalf I believe. I assume while travelling she is well armed? When she returns home, what does she do with her weapons?"

Gwen was surprised that he knew about their trader and threw a worried look to Mayor Kessler as Rylee was not affiliated with Bunker Hill.

"She has to hand them over to Vault 81 Security when she returns." She stated, "our arrangement with Rylee set the precedent we needed when we allowed our first visitors into Vault 81 and it has worked well."

"I think it is a workable amendment to allow for additional security within our settlement and would not be a breach of the right." Alec said thinking on it, before the war he remembered that it wasn't legal to carry a weapon everywhere. "Does anyone disagree?"

"It is a matter of choice." Gwen said contently when no one raised an objection, "my people will respect the right, but we also maintain our security."

With no further arguments they moved onto the last part that Alec has written which gave the government the right to enforce arms policies which would control what could be sold, owned, or collected by civilians unless given a permit.

They spent an hour making the start on drafting the start of an Arms Policy for the Commonwealth, using the three weapons that Alec has originally suggested as a starting point. The outline of what would roughly be accepted and what would be prohibited eventually took shape.

It was only the start of a much larger piece of legislation that the future government would need to finish before it was ready to be implemented, but Alec had been keen to make a start on it to test them.

Despite making a start on the necessary legislation, Alec worried about the issue of regulation when the entire Commonwealth was littered with weapons. It seemed that every nook and cranny had some type of weapon in it, thanks to the war horse that was the United States.

"This is a much larger issue and one that we will have to tackle in much greater detail at a later time." Alec said as they put aside the Arms Policy and looked to move on and he looked around the room proudly. "I would like to take this moment to reflect on the great progress that we have made in such a short time. Tell me, would any of you have believed we could come to an accord on such controversial topics a month ago? That you could speak as equals with an Institute representative?"

"Never." Hancock said looking at Adam, "I am not sure I would even have believed it this morning."

Adam smiled, "It's a new day Mayor Hancock, but we are equal in the eyes of this agreement and the Institute is as bound to it as you are, or we will be once Alec draws it up and we sign it."

"It is a strange concept to believe." Kessler said, "Let's hope it can last longer than the last CPG."

"It will." Alec vowed, "The Commonwealth must unite, the Brotherhood is in exile, but they are not gone, and we must be ready. To do that we need a strong and stable central government. Everything we have debated and agreed will bind us together and will ensure that our future is protected."

Alec pulled out the next sheet of paper and it was covered in numerous alterations and scribblings from the work he had done this morning to try and get it exactly right, but he still wasn't sure.

"Your mention of the CPG leads us nicely onto my next proposal." Alec started, "The Right to Govern. This proposal will establish our new government and outlines its powers outside of those we have previously discussed and agreed upon."

When Alec had wrote this proposal, he had drawn a great deal of inspiration from the United States Constitution. The Commonwealth was closer to the Colonial Era than the Pre-War America, and they needed to build everything from scratch like those who arrived on the Mayflower.

The issue he had run into was that the Constitution vested power in a Congress with two houses which the Commonwealth did not have. At least not yet. Which meant he had to write it with the power concentrated on a single council.

It took some work to get them all to agree to the requirements necessary to become appointed Representative of a settlement given the restrictions he had written. However, they easily agreed to the conditions of when the Council would meet and how Bills would be passed into Law.

They also gave their new government its name, New Commonwealth Provisional Government.

"Well Alec, you have formally established our government." Hancock said stretching out leisurely, "are we able to go and celebrate now?"

"Not yet Hancock." Alec said firmly and he pulled out the final proposal, "I have one final proposition to put to you all. I am sure you will be glad to hear this."

Light laughter erupted around the room but none of them protested which Alec was happy for as the next proposal was one that would enable them to grow and expand.

"We in this room represent only a small number of people each, we come from the largest and influential settlements that is true, but we do not represent everyone." He stated treading carefully as he didn't want to divide them now after so much work, "I want to unite the Commonwealth, and to do that means having other settlements following what we have outlined."

"How far do we expand?" Kessler asked with great interest no doubt thinking of trading opportunities.

"Only throughout the Commonwealth." Alec stated firmly, "the State of Massachusetts is large and even I haven't seen all of it, especially to the west. There will be a lot of settlements out there and even more factions of people. It will take a lot of work to get them to agree to join us, and we will not force them. We are not the Brotherhood of Steel."

"We should start more locally." Hancock suggested thoughtfully, "Alec, you have sponsored a great many settlements under the banner of the Minutemen. Many of them would likely join if you gave them the offer."

Geneva looked around the room expectantly, "I do not have any issues with expanding the Council with new representatives, I think I speak for most here."

She threw a look towards Adam as if doubting his intentions, which Alec thought she most likely was as it was obvious she still didn't trust him, and Adam was not oblivious to her feelings.

"The Institute would welcome working with our representatives, a fresh perspective can give great clarity to an argument." Adam pointed out, "I however would be cautious of expanding too quickly, we lack the infrastructure necessary to secure the entire Commonwealth."

Hancock looked uncomfortable next to Alec and when he looked at him, he said, "I hate to say it, but I agree with Adam. The Minutemen are spread too thin protecting the settlements here, if we expand more, we will struggle."

Gwen leant forward then and flicked through her own folder of pages and Alec saw that she had made a great deal of notes on them.

"Mayor Hancock is correct." She said firmly, "we have to be able to protect our people, the more signatories we have the more we are responsible for. The Commonwealth lacks infrastructure and it is imperative that we build that first so that we can meet our obligations. We must first consolidate before we expand further."

"I agree with you." Alec said, "as the General of the Commonwealth Minutemen I can tell you that the militia is spread too thin already. But that is a matter for a later time. So, are ready to vote or do we have more questions?"

Talk continued for well over an hour and they agreed that they would need to grow but couldn't decide when and how they would go about it. In the end talk moved on to who they would first want to approach to join them.

The assembled leaders agreed to what Alec has proposed as it seemed feasible and they could not find any objections and was passed by a unanimous vote, although the question still remained who would be the first settlement to join them?

"Well that is the last proposal I had to put to you all and it pleased me that we could come to a mutual accord on these matters." Alec said in a measured voice, "Now do any of you have any proposals you want to put forward?"

There were no formal proposals, they had not come to Vault 88 as prepared as Alec but over the course of the last few days they had begun to think about the future and had some ideas. Instead of making proposals they instead had an open discussion about the various future needs of the Commonwealth, such as food production, water purification and power generation.

It gave Alec a sense of hope as he listened to people from all corners of the Commonwealth discussing a future that they previously never thought possible but understood they had a long way to go before it was realised.

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	10. Chapter 10

Fallout 4: The Rise of the M.C.R

**Chapter Ten**

**The First Accords**

It was Christmas Day, a day which should by tradition be filled with festive cheer, family, fun and good food, but within Vault 88 there was still work to do and after a night of festivities its residents and guests had been slow to rouse.

Only one resident of Vault was immune to the good cheer, Administrator Barstow maintained her uncompromising expectation of the residents and demanded that Vault 88 must provide only the best of service and hospitality possible.

During the night she had not partook in the festivities as she had overseen the transference of Liberty Prime into storage within the vault went unnoticed by the visitors where it would remain until Alec or the Institute could decide what to do with it.

An argument broke out between the Mayors of Diamond City and Goodneighbour over breakfast and it threatened to dismantle the hard work of the past several days of debate. Piper had seen the whole thing and looked giddy at the thought of writing the story, but the argument was stopped when the Overseer of Vault 88 was summoned by security.

Alec had been down in the tunnels of Vault 88 inspecting the work being carried out by the drones and was happy with the progress. He had managed to end the argument with no small amount of strong-arming, but it was clear that the issue of McDonough would not be forgotten any time soon.

They had planned to convene the final meeting of the delegation at ten o'clock, but none had protested when it was postponed for an hour to allow the two angry mayors time to cool off. When the meeting was eventually convened they took their seats waiting for Alec and there was a nervous atmosphere not helped by the ongoing silent fight between Diamond City and Goodneighbour across the table.

As Alec stepped into the room was his now customary folder of documents he picked up on the hostility and gave Hancock a pointed look, now was not the time to have this dispute, they had to finalise Accords.

"Merry Christmas." Alec said with a tired but determined smile, "it has been three days since you answered my invitation and entered Vault 88. Those days have been long and hard fought, yet today we sit here on the precipice of a new future for not only our communities but our very future."

Looking around the room he tried to get a feel for what they were feeling, the atmosphere was tense, unsure, and nervous, they didn't know what came next and truth be told neither did Alec.

Only Adam remained his serene demeanour no doubt an advantage of his synthetic origins.

Placing the folder on the table in front of him, all of their eyes fell on it like it was about to explode, they knew what the folder contained and what it represented.

"Before we sign this document, I would like to give any of you the opportunity to say anything." Alec said tentatively, he wanted to give the opportunity but feared someone would try and push for a new amendment or argue for some type of advantage.

Silence was the only answer, for a long minute no one spoke, and he wondered if anyone would break it.

Old Man Stockton leaned forward to say something to Kessler, but she silenced him with hard look.

"Oh, let us just get this agreement done." She said tersely, "we have already agreed to it, this is just a formality, let's not allow anyone to become greedy."

No one challenged or tried to contradict Kessler which amused Alec as he wondered if she actually had that much sway over them or if the others were of a like mind and just wanted to usher in the future.

Gesturing out of the window to where Clem had stood waiting, he came inside carrying a camera and a three-legged stand that only Gwen and Alec recognised as a tripod.

"What is this for?" Geneva said looking at the device with suspicion as if it was a weapon of some kind.

"This is a historical moment." Adam pointed out simply, "this should be recorded, so people might look back at this moment and see where everything began."

Or where it all went wrong Alec thought to himself silently.

It took them only a few minutes to get the room set up properly for the signing so that it could be photographed. Alec sat first with the other leaders behind him and he leant over to sign his name under the official copy of the document that would be retained by the NCPG.

As he added the ink to the page there was a great flash and a gasp from behind him as Clem took the photograph and then it was over. Sanctuary Hills was the first signatory of the First Accord.

They followed the same process with each of the delegates and they took the moment to sit and sign the official document and then signed the other copies which each signatory would retain as evidence of what had transpired and what they had agreed to.

"Did you ever think you would do this when you stepped out of Vault 111?" Hancock muttered to Alec as they stood behind Adam who was signing on behalf of the Institute.

It took Alec a moment to hear his friend, as he felt extremely uncomfortable at that moment as proof of his deception to the delegates was photographed. He didn't know what would happen if they learnt that he was actually the Institute Director.

"No." Alec said awkwardly trying to cover his unease, "I had no idea what I would find when I went to the surface that day. All I knew was that I would find Shaun and that I would kill Kellogg for what he had done."

"You did both of those things." Hancock snorted with amusement but grew more serious, "I think that and everything you have done here has taught me never to get in the way of you and whatever it is you set your mind to."

"All it took was hard work and determination." Alec shrugged, standing still as another flash exploded as Gwen signed her name, "perseverance and more that a touch of lady luck."

Hancock regarded him mutely for a moment as he went to say something he decided against it.

"What?" Alec asked him, "its unlike you to bite your tongue."

"I was going to say, I wouldn't want you as my enemy." Hancock said seriously.

Eventually the last of the documents were signed by the delegates and they were securely placed in sealed travelling tubes for protection and presented to each delegate. With the pictures taken, Clem took his leave and they resumed their seats around the table.

"Is that it?" Geneva said unsure of herself, "what happens now?"

"We have just established the New Commonwealth Provisional Government Council." Adam said simply, "I should think we should convene our first meeting."

Looking around the room Alec nodded, "now we begin."

They began to discuss the areas where the NCPG would need to invest in if it was to create a united, stable and prosperous Commonwealth, thinking beyond their individual needs and what they would need to do as a larger whole, something that did not come easily to the new council.

Food, water, power, and medicine production were all necessary areas they needed to focus on in the short term, but in the long term they would also need to begin to produce new raw materials and begin manufacturing.

Infrastructure would be key, and it was difficult to work out where they should first focus their efforts as everything was important and they needed to be careful not to be too ambitious too soon.

With that in mind they looked over a map of the Commonwealth and perspective areas that the NCPG would need to claim to make a jumpstart on its industry. Alec, Adam, and Gwen led the conversation as they had the most knowledge of what they would need, whereas Hancock and Kessler were able to provide more local information in particular areas.

To claim areas in the name of the NCPG or clear out hostiles would be a tall order, the council was now responsible for maintaining the security of each signatory territory, but they had also inherited the responsibility of the Minutemen Protectorates.

The Minutemen were not technically under the purview of the NCPG, they were under Alecs command as the General, but the mission of both the NCPG and Minutemen were much the same and since Alec was the driving force behind both he was happy to lend the Minutemen to the NCPG without any guilt.

However, the Council decided that the Minutemen would not serve as the principle military force of the future Commonwealth. It needed to evolve if it were to become an equal to the Brotherhood of Steel, but it would also need to evolve to meet the requirements now stipulated by Article Three of the First Accords.

To that end, Alec put forward the first bill before the Council of the NCPG, the Military Creation Act.

"The Brotherhood is a threat to us even now in exile, they will return and when they do we will need a diverse and powerful military. The Minutemen have served the Commonwealth for decades, but it is time for it to evolve." Alec said, "It is my intent to create four divisions of the military; army, navy, air force and engineering."

The room exchanged looked and he saw a lot of raised eyebrows, Gwen stared at him open mouthed while Hancock just shook his head in amusement.

"That is ambitious." Kessler said with great interest, "You will need a lot of resources to make that work."

"I will and the Council will need to make them available." Alec agreed, "It will take time for the divisions to become fully operational, if we are going to do this it has to be now before winter arrives."

"What will this entail?" Gwen asked, "you have a plan?"

Alec considered this for a moment, and he shook his head.

"No, not yet or at least I have not fully worked it all out." Alec admitted, "I intend to start with the engineers, if we are to build infrastructure in the Commonwealth we will need an engineer force and I am sure we all know there is a lot of work to be done."

"I would need to speak to the Institute Directorate." Adam said carefully looking at Alec with an appraisingly look, "But the Institute may be able to provide synth units that can be provided with engineering programming to help with your efforts. Synths do not require sleep, so we make for a capable workforce."

"Thank you Adam." Alec said easily agreeing to the synth's proposal, but it would need directorate approval which he didn't think would be an issue. "What about technology?"

"I do not have the authority to offer such a thing." Adam stated.

"Very well." Alec said pretending to look disappointed, "we have all the Brotherhood technology so we will be better equipped and have access to better tools than before anyway. We will need trade though, Kessler?"

The mayor of Bunker Hill regarding them all for a long moment before she spoke.

"I can ensure that any location that you appropriate will be provisioned through the Bunker Hill Caravans, however I warn you that the supplies will not be free. My people are business minded and they will only operate to make a profit."

It was not a surprise to hear that, Alec knew that provisioning the military would not be simple, it would take work to build the military but also even more work to maintain it.

"Then we will need to ensure that the military is more self-sufficient." Gwen said sternly, "We cannot become beholden or extorted by traders. If they attempt to influence or coerce the NCPG we will ensure that our business is taken elsewhere."

Kessler shot the Vault 81 Overseer a filthy look at her audacity.

"I agree." Geneva said smirking enjoying rubbing Kessler's nose in it, Diamond City had for a long time tried to control the trade across the Commonwealth seeking the wealth it could bring through tax.

"We must encourage free and fair trade." Alec said carefully trying not to ruffle feathers but also keeping a firm stance on the topic at hand. "When I rebuilt the Minutemen I also established trade routes between each of the settlements, this made each settlement more prosperous but also ensured the Minutemen had access to resources it might need."

Kessler turned her haughty look to Alec now, but he ignored it, the Bunker Hill Caravans had once tried to purchase the Provisioner Trade Routes from the Minutemen after they cut into their bottom line, but Alec had refused.

"Winter will be approaching above; resources will be in short supply as people begin to stockpile everything." Geneva pointed out, "as the cold sets in the raiders get more active. Is this the right time to expand the Minutemen when they are already stretched thin?"

Alec looked at her in surprise, it was an astute point of view but not one he would have thought to hear from her when as far as he knew she didn't leave Diamond City.

"The engineer division will take time to establish as any people assigned to the division will need to be educated and trained in certain areas and a build a base of operations" Alec pointed out, "the winter would give them the time they need to learn everything they need before we deploy them in the spring."

The bill was put to a vote and unsurprisingly it was passed, and Alec was granted the freedom to build his new military, but it would be his responsibility to find the necessary people and resources to make it work.

Five hours of talk ended with no additional bills being proposed, instead the council used the time to discuss issues of taxation, funding, land grants, trade and even the prospect of establishing foreign relations.

But time was not in their favour, the new Council Members were eager for the great work to start but also had a great need to return home.

The NCPG was adjourned and the guests returned to their quarters to pack up any of their belongings while Alec went up to the Entrance and arranged for the Minutemen escorts for them to return home.

Before they could leave however, Piper cornered each of the Council Members for a final interview as she was intent on publishing numerous articles about the last three days. Piper would eventually come for him, he knew that, but he assumed she was letting him work for now but soon he would have to pay the piper.

Administrator Barstow had arranged a final meal, a Christmas lunch for the guests as a final farewell and a farewell from Vault 88. During the meal Alec saw Barstow and Gwen deep in conversation about something, and he remembered that Barstow had wanted to venture out to the other Vaults to discover what had happened to them and to reclaim any other prototypes.

"Blue!" Piper called cheerfully seeing him sitting alone having finished his meal hidden in an unobtrusive corner.

"Is it time for you to grill me now?" He smirked, "can I not even digest my lunch?"

"Nope." She laughed, "But that's not why I am here, have your forgotten you radio broadcast?"

"What?" Alec said startled and looked at his pipboy and was horrified to see the time, "I lost track of time!"

"Well don't dally!" She snapped, "Move!"

Not needing to be told twice, Alec jumped up and made an odd gesture to the vault staff in the cafeteria in nonverbal thanks and hurried out of the room, across the atrium and up to the Reactor Room.

As he stepped inside he saw the technician looked relieved to see him and continued to fiddle with one of the consoles. Taking a seat at the desk area in front of the microphone, Alec watched as the technician began to tap into Diamond City Radio, Classical Radio, and Radio Freedom frequencies.

"This is Radio Freedom, The Voice of the Minutemen! All Quiet, stand by for a message from the General…" Came the voice of the Castle Operator.

"Well listeners its time now for a broadcast from Vault 88." Travis said from Diamond City, "I am told that they have a message for us today!"

The Classical Radio finished its tune and crackled, and a computer-generated voice said "Please stand by for a message from the Commonwealth…"

"On your mark Overseer." The technician said to Alec.

Taking a deep calming breath, Alec pulled took out his paper with his prepared statement and nodded to the technician he then activated the Vault 88 broadcast across the Commonwealth over the three frequencies.

"Citizens of the Commonwealth, this is General Alec Carter and I am speaking to you now, live from within Vault 88 where I have held a summit of the great significance to our future.

Since I left my Vault two years ago, I have travelled far and wide across the Commonwealth and at every turn I have seen in every person I have met a great sense of strength, pride, determination, and incredible fortitude.

I greatly admire the citizens of the Commonwealth, for ours is a hard way of life, and this is what makes us strong. Strong enough to not shy away from the truth no matter how hard that truth might be.

The Commonwealth faces a grave threat, the worst it has faced in over a century and a half. I am talking of the Brotherhood of Steel, they invaded this land with their army, Vertibird and airship to steal our wealth, our liberty, and our freedoms.

I led the battle against the Brotherhood of Steel at Boston Airport, we won the battle and have expelled the soldiers from our borders. We won a great battle that day, but we have made a powerful enemy, and it is only a matter of time before they come back to this land and seek retribution for what we have done.

It was because of this looming threat that I invited the leaders of a number of key settlements, and despite numerous differences we found ourselves not divided as many would have expected but united common interests.

Today, each of the leaders signed the Commonwealth Settlements First Accords, this document officially recognises, grants, and protects the individual Rights and Freedoms of our citizens but has also led to the creation of the New Commonwealth Provisional Government.

The Commonwealth must be forged anew, for a nation divided against itself cannot stand, and the mission of the NCPG is uniting our splintered and fractured land and rebuilding it into a symbol, a nation, that can stand proud in defiance to any who would seek to invade or threaten us again."

Taking a breath to collect himself it suddenly struck Alec that he had no idea how many people were listening, but the number was probably larger than he knew and he wondered what they would think as they listened to him trying to change their future and homes.

**o-Fallout-o**

After the message was delivered, Alec nodded to the technician and the radio broadcast from vault 88 ceased and the ordinary programs were resumed, with Diamond City continuing to discuss the content he had delivered and what this would mean.

Thanking the technician for their work Alec stopped into the Vault 88 entrance and contacted the Minutemen outside via a ham radio and arranged escorts for the delegates and he began to think about what he would do next, he needed to pack his own belongings as he would leaving the vault too.

He was deep in thought as he stepped into the Atrium and was startled by a round of applause from the assembled guests and residents, horrified by the attention now being given to him, he had tried to escape but was unable to extract himself.

Despite his awkwardness at the situation Alec forced himself to smile and paid the assembled masses his undivided attention as he listened to what they had to say and offered a word of two in response.

As he made his rounds through the crowd of people he came to realise that some only wanted to offer their congratulations for what it had managed to do, while others sought the opportunity to weigh in and offer advice or suggestions as if they wanted to feel like they had contributed to the future.

Something began to niggle at Alec as he mingled, his instincts were telling him that he was being watched and after years in the military and surviving in the Commonwealth he had learnt to trust them.

Trying to maintain his attention on the people in front of him because difficult as he continued to scan the atrium to try and discern what has caused the feeling and eventually found Stockton and Geneva were watching him warily from afar and he wondered at it but dismissed it for now.

When Barstow had said she wished to open the Rusted Gear for the occasion he had agreed but had suggested they limit the amount of free alcohol, the vault might have a large surplus of supplies but they were not limitless.

The noise in the atrium grew louder as the guests and residents were served drinks, and Alec noticed that some had fallen deeper into their glasses than others, none more than Hancock who stumbled towards Alec.

"Alec!" He said merrily, "I thought I would make the most of the Rusted Gear before I return to Goodneighbour, it will be an interesting homecoming and I don't know what will happen! It is going to be fun!"

Supressing a shudder at his friends' light-heartedness, given how lawless Goodneighbour could be he doubted Hancock would have a bloodless homecoming. Hancock gained his position by killing his predecessor Vic, another could try to do the same to him.

"I am sure you will deal with it, John." Alec said frowning as he wondered if Goodneighbour would follow the accords, after all the denizens of the town enjoyed their liberal freedoms and this would be a test of the resolve the of the NCPG if they did. "I trust you will take precautions, where is Fahrenheit?"

"Scaring that boy you have here." Hancock said his scarred brow furrowing, "Clap is it?"

"Clem?" Alec blinked in shock and looked around in alarm, the man was incredibly simple, and he often wondered how he had survived before coming to Vault 88. "What is she doing to him? She wont harm him will she?"

Hancock snorted and waved his concern off, "gods no! He might enjoy it if he finds his courage and brains to realise what she wants."

Shaking his head at the thought of Clem with such a woman as the intimidating bodyguard.

"Will Goodneighbour accept this Accords?" Alec asked his friends quietly.

Despite his intoxication Hancock noticed his seriousness and lost his jovial attitude.

"They will." He vowed, "Goodneighbour might be wild and free, but they enjoy their freedoms and while they might complain and grumble they will come to see the benefits. After all, the NCPG is of the people, for the people."

Alec wondered how Goodneighbour would react when new laws were imposed that restrict some of the activities that town seemed to attract. Hancock needed another drink so went off towards the Rusted Gear and Alec was able to make a beeline for the stairs to his office and escaped the masses and let out a sigh.

If Hancock foresaw some trouble in Goodneighbour in response to the Accords, Alec wondered what he would face when he returned to Sanctuary Hills, but he pushed that from his mind for now.

He took the moment to look out of the large circular window down into the atrium and saw that the celebration was beginning to break up now he had left no doubt going to their rooms to prepare for the departure, on the opposite side of the atrium he saw Barstow looking down from her own smaller windowed office.

Making his way up to his bedroom Alec began to pack his clothes, boots, belt and holsters into a duffle bag. His thoughts turned to the military he hoped to build and wondered who could design them a uniform, they would need to be recognisable and professional, but also how they would begin the mass manufacture of it all.

He took extra underwear, socks and toiletries from his rooms, up on the surface most did not see for such extravagant commodities but Alec did and enjoyed to indulge himself, Kate would have laughed herself hoarse if she realised what he deemed a great indulgence.

With everything backed from his bedroom and bathroom, Alec shouldered the duffle and made his way back down to his office and threw the bag on the couch before walking over to the phone and dialling the number for Vault Services.

"This is the Overseer." Alec said politely, "is it possible to send up someone to clean my rooms please?"

"Of course, Overseer." Said the man on the other end, "I will send someone up straight away, do you need anything else?"

"No, thank you." Alec said hanging up the phone.

Turning to the large wall safe, Alec unlocked it and pulled out his two modified pistol, keychains and other valuable odds and ends and put them in the duffle before he sat himself down at his desk to begin the tedious job of sorting through all the papers, journals, and notebooks that he had accumulated.

Many of the documents were from dispatches from the Minutemen, containing reports on troop movements, supply and account details, reports on scouting missions and on the settlements under their protection.

He was distracted from his work by the sound of the door chime, he pressed the button on the desk and looked up expecting to see only the cleaning attendant ready to clean his room and was surprised to see Piper standing there too.

"Blue, I came to get that interview with you." She said pointedly, "you promised me exclusivity."

"I did." Alec said and he looked past her to the vault attendant, "You can come in Miriam."

"Are you sure overseer?" She asked looking awkwardly between him and Piper, "I can come back if this is no longer convenient."

He smiled reassuringly, Miriam was the eldest vault 88 resident and she reminded him of his own grandmother, both were a force of nature when it came to cleanliness and neatness.

"If you wouldn't mind starting upstairs please Miriam, it will give me time to speak to Piper here." Alec told her, "Turn down the rooms please, I will be leaving Vault 88 soon, I am sorry for the extra work, but it should be done before I go otherwise it will be worse when I return."

She nodded in response and quickly went through the doorway to the upper level carrying her cleaning supplies and equipment without any need for help. As she passed her eyes swept over his cluttered desk and she gave Alec a look that made him feel guilty.

"The mess will be gone by the time you come back down." He promised holding his hands up in mock surrender and she gave him a knowing look but made no further comment and she moved out of sight.

Piper stepped into his office and he saw that her eyes immediately spotted his open safe and the cluttered documents on his desk and he knew her keen journalist instincts saw an opportunity within the pile.

Gesturing for her to take a seat on the couch, he moved the duffle out of the way and packed away the pile of books, papers and reports that he had decided to take with him, the rest would be destroyed before he left.

Pouring them both a drink from the sideboard he handed one to her and took a seat himself.

"So, Piper what do you what questions do you have for me?" Alec asked and he tried to make himself comfortable for the torture of an interview that Piper had planned, and he knew that despite being friends she would not go easy on him.

The interview lasted over and hour, Piper asked him all manner of questions about the First Accords and the NCPG, she was keen to get the inspiration and reasons behind everything he had accomplished. When she asked questions about the Institute he was cautious, he explained that he found his son within and that he had died. After which, Alec had been able to come to an arrangement with the Institute leadership which meant they were more amenable to the surface.

Technically it was not a lie, he just omitted that it was he who was in charge of the Institute, but the rest was true since he had got the Directorate to agree to his proposed policy changes.

Once the interview was over they moved onto a subject that Alec was much more comfortable with, which was the expansion of the newspaper business.

"I have decided to follow your suggestion Blue," Piper said, "I will be growing the papers readership, I need to source another printing press and a better paper supplier, but I think I can manage it."

"How will you distribute the papers?" Alec asked with interest, "the caravans?"

Piper nodded but didn't look overly happy about it. "I was able to negotiate a deal with Kessler and Stockton yesterday, I have arranged the logistics of it all, it wasn't cheap mind you and I will be making a loss on it until it pays off."

It would be a while before the business investment began to provide a return for Piper, but in the long-term Alec was sure it would be beneficial if she could keep the business afloat. He knew that Wright sisters were hardly wealthy, they just about made ends meet, and he wondered what Piper must have sacrificed to afford this deal.

"That is good" Alec said, and an idea came to him, "I actually have a commission for you."

"A paying one?" She asked sounded quite desperate, confirming that the Bunker Hill traders had driven a hard bargain indeed.

Moving over to his desk, Alec opened the middle drawer of the desk and pulled a spare copy of the Accords document he had prepared for the morning and handed it to her.

"Your first article will be about the First Accords and the formation of the NCPG." Alec stated, "I would like for you to also include a copy of the terms of the Accords with that edition and I want to ensure that a copy of this article is delivered to every known settlement in the Commonwealth."

Piper raised her eyebrows in surprise but then tilted her head in thought.

"That's why you allowed the radio broadcasts, both mine providing live updates and yours given your statement." She said, "It's like a settlement radio recruitment broadcast but for the United Commonwealth!"

"There is power in the press." Alec said with a roguish smile, "I remember you telling me that once Piper. The only difference is that I am using two mediums, radio, and the newspaper. In my own time there was also the television to reach the masses."

She looked hesitant as she looked through the paper he had handed her, "I will need the caps up front for a job like this Alec." She said awkwardly, "I will need to purchases additional supplies and pay for the distribution of the article, those traders will be ruthless in their fees."

"How much?" Alec asked as he moved back to his desk and pulled out a black journal that he kept on his person at all times and eyed the money had stored in the wall safe. "Do you have a price."

"Five hundred Caps." She said after a long moment of working it out on a notepad.

For two years he had kept an accurate account of the money he had squirreled away across the Commonwealth, but also what goods and resources he had available for trade should it be needed. During his search for Shaun he had needed money so had found work where he could but had also made a good profit through scavenging the ruins of the Commonwealth and through general trade.

From the safe he pulled out the necessary funds and transferred them into two pouches, he resumed his seat and placed one of the two pouches onto the coffee table in front of Piper who gaped at it like a fish.

"That pouch contains the payment for the commission." Alec said, he held up the second pouch and it jangled with the tell-tale sound of caps. "This contains a further five hundred caps, if you will accept I would like to invest in the newspaper."

Piper blinked at him in confusion, she was speechless for a long moment but eventually found her tongue.

"What does that mean?" She asked suspiciously, "You will have terms I assume."

"I will give you six months to let the investment mature, at which point I would expect to begin to receive a percentage of the profits that the paper makes." Alec told her, "I will leave the running of the paper to you and your sister, I have no intention of interfering with its content."

Piper looked conflicted over the proposal, but she eventually relented, and they haggled over the percentage of profits Alec would receive from his investment but came to an agreement and she stipulated that eventually she might seek to but out his investment after a year.

"Have you done this before?" Piper asked as she watched Alec write down the transaction his black book after they has signed a handwritten contract for the investment and purchase order. "Invested money in businesses that is."

"In a manner of speaking." Alec said casually and he was spared from answering by chime of the door and he pressed the button on his desk to open it and Adam stepped in. "Adam what can I do for you?"

"The other delegates are preparing to leave." Adam stated but froze slightly on noticing Piper, "Forgive me General I did not realise you were busy."

"Don't worry." Alec told the synth.

"I better go." Piper said a little alarmed, "I need to get my stuff from my room and from security, I am supposed to be travelling with Geneva."

The phone on the table rang and Alec picked up the receiver and wasn't surprised to hear who it was.

"Boss, the guests are ready to leave, with your permission I will open the door to let them out." Came the voice of Chief MacCready.

"Open the door in ten minutes." Alec told him, "that should give Piper here time to get her stuff together and be ready to leave with them."

"Thanks Blue!" Piper exclaimed and she picked up her notebook, bag of caps and the Accords folder and hurried from the room. "See you around Adam. Don't forget your promise, I want an interview with the Institute leaders, you said you would request it!"

The door slid shut behind her leaving Alec and Adam within the room.

"Miss Wright asks that she be…."

"I heard her, and you had best ask the Directorate." Alec said interrupting Adam with a dark murderous look as at that very moment Miriam clattered round the corner into the office.

**O-FALLOUT-O**

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**O-FALLOUT-O**

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**O-FALLOUT-O**

**Authors Note: **I found this rather hard to write, I had written the next chapter before this one, and i had to find a way to get this chapter to bridge the gap between the two, which was hard as i needed to tie up the negotiations and set out a path for the future.

As always please let me know what you think!

**O-FALLOUT-O**


	11. Chapter 11

Fallout 4: The Rise of the M.C.R

**Chapter Eleven**

**The Engineer Corps**

The climate had not been predictable in the Commonwealth since the Great War, the damage done to the world's ecosystem was still felt two centuries after the bombs fell.

As a born Bostonian, Alec had been surprised by the lack of snow during his first two winters after leaving Vault 111 but had been glad of it, the Commonwealth was inhospitable enough at the best of times.

Stepping outside of Vault 88 it was quickly evident that this winter would be different, the temperature had dropped rapidly, a howling wind cut across the open terrain and could chill you to the bone.

Even without weather forecasts the people knew that winter had finally come, and they said it would not be kind or at least that's what the last of the Minutemen at Vault 88 had told him before he had sent them on their way.

Alec had stood atop the quarry freezing looking out across the Commonwealth and couldn't help but think that even the seasons had turned against him and felt dismayed. Was the deck stacked against him? Taking the moment to take stock, he steeled himself, he was not yet ready to be defeated.

Relaying to the Institute first with Adam, the directorate met to discuss what had transpired within Vault 88 and they had no small number of questions and presented them with the Institute copy of the First Accords.

He spent a few more hours within the Institute to remind them all that he was still the director and to make himself accessible to the scientists for a time and dealt with some small matters before. transporting himself to Sanctuary Hills.

The perimeter wall around the island that he had ordered to built was now fully constructed and Alec was happy with the workmanship. Sturges had also managed to complete the construction of his heavy defence turret, and and judging by a second platform he might have plans for a second turret.

With the wall now completed the work teams would normally had resumed work on the construction of the brick houses, and it looked like one of them was nearing completion, but with the seasons changing they were instead working to ensure the settlement was prepared for a cold winter.

Settlers were stockpiling cut wood for fires and working on preserving meat and food to prepare for winter.

Happy with the work that was going on to both protect the settlement but also to make sure it was prepared for the winter, Alec called the entire island populace together and gave them a personal account of everything that had happened since he had gone south to face the Brotherhood of Steel over a month before.

The inhabitants of Sanctuary Hills had been following the news through Diamond City Radio, and despite the numerous shows and his own address to the Commonwealth they still had a lot of questions, and the room broke out into a lot of loud voices struggling to be heard.

It took two hours for Alec to explain what the First Accords did for the people and what it made them responsible for and how things would need to change. The voices began to grow quieter as they realised there were more benefits for them and their settlement than they realised and for the most nothing changed for them.

Only one voice spoke out against him and what he had done, and its owner did not surprise him.

Marcy Long had long been a thorn in Alecs side since he had brought her to Sanctuary, she was isolationist by nature after everything that had happened in Quincy, which was understandable, but it brought her to odds with Alecs own views.

When the Quincy Survivors arrived in Sanctuary they only had the clothes on their backs, but they were committed to building a new home. They had made a deal with the Abernathy's, providing labour to help with the harvest and the expansion of three extra fields in exchange for tools, seed, and fertiliser.

The deal had been to the mutual benefit of both Sanctuary Hills and the Abernathy Farm, especially as at the time the new settlement could barely scrape two Caps together. Marcy had hated the deal, adamant that they didn't need any outside help and that they could make do and even now she frowned on their agreements with both the Abernathy's, Zimoja, and Tenpines Bluff.

She now stood up in front of the entire settlement and pointed out that he had never been appointed the leader of Sanctuary Hills and could not make unilateral decision on their behalf. She even questioned whether he could be called a resident of Sanctuary Hills given the time he spent away from the island.

Her opinion caught Alec completely off guard and he had gaped at her. Sanctuary Hills had been his home for over two centuries, he had helped found the settlement when he took in the Quincy refugees and had sponsored its growth for two years.

Because of Alec the settlement had grown rapidly into a northern stronghold, ensuring that it prospered and prevented it from becoming another shanty town and had a sense of pride of everything it had achieved.

It hurt to see that her opinion was shared by several people in the room, and as a new debate erupted in the room, Alec sat allowing it to wash over him, her comments hitting a raw nerve and he hated her for it.

While It was true that he had never been appointed the leader of the settlement, but he had always acted in their best interests over the years, assuming the authority needed, and he hadn't been questioned before.

The answer to the problem was a simple one however, it was written into the Accords themselves. They would hold an election, it was time given that their population had grown to over thirty people, they needed a mayor and would also need to appoint a representative to the Council.

His suggestion was met with surprise, but they quickly agreed to it and they seemed excited by the prospect, although it made Alec nervous. He had a feeling that Marcy Long might throw her own hat into the ring.

Leaving the assembly, he walked towards his house but was stopped by Mama Murphy who hobbled after him, she was getting slower these days and he noticed how frail and old she looked since last he saw her.

"Mama Murphy!" Alec scolded, "You shouldn't be out here on your own, let me help you back to your room you will catch a death."

She didn't protest as he supported her and merely laughed lightly.

"Don't worry about me kid, I might be old, but this cold won't kill me, it's not my time, not yet." She said with much certainty that Alec couldn't help but believe her.

Not for the first time Alec wondered about her gift and how it could possibly be real. The Sight, that's what she called it, and when he had first met her and she shared her gift with him, Alec had just thought her a senile old quack.

But then he had fought the deathclaw in Concord and suddenly her words made sense, she had somehow known about it before it had happened.

It had been Mama Murphy who had sent him to Diamond City when he had asked her for help finding Shaun, she had put him directly on the path of finding Nick, Kellogg and then the Institute.

"You should be more careful all the same, the street can be treacherous, and your slippers don't off you much grip." He cautioned, "Winter has finally come, and it will be worse than the last two we had here, you should stay in the warm Mama."

"Winter has come, but this is not the one to fear that is still to come and it shall be the test…"

"Test of what?" Alec said as he steered her into the house opposite his own that she shared with Sturges and Preston.

"Of the Massachusetts Con..." She said tiredly trailing off as her eyes drooped low.

Placing her in her comfortable chair, Alec saw the metal tin filled with an unfamiliar flower and a cup on the side next to a hot plate.

"Mama Murphy, you promised you would no longer use chems," Alec said in a quite disappointed voice.

"I kept my promise kid." She drowsily and looking at him through heavy lidded eyes, "I have only my tea, I get only glimpses, not much more, but the effort leaves me tired."

"Don't suppose you know who wins the election?" Alec asked as he pulled a blanket around the old woman and looked up and saw that she had now fallen asleep and decided to leave her be and eyed the tin suspiciously.

Without further hesitation he left the house, content to hold the future in his own hands.

Retiring to his old house he had wanted to begin work on that future but his mind was plagued by doubts caused by Marcy and Mama Murphy, in order to distract himself he began to sort through the odds and ends he had collected over the last two years throughout his travels.

Codsworth was happy to have him home and insisted on serving him a meal which Alec didn't refuse as it reminded him of times long since passed. The robot meticulously maintained the old house, its front garden, and the crops they grew out in the backyard for trade income, but most recently the butler also watched over Dogmeat.

After sorting through his stuff and making up a large box that he would look to trade with the Caravans when they passed through he was finally calm enough to get back to work, without being distracted by politics or prophecy. Instead he turned his mind to the problem of the future commonwealth military.

To build a new military from scratch was ambitious but he thought it could be done, so long as he could find the right people to help him achieve it. He just hoped that it wasn't his hubris. Making a list of people who had the skills and expertise he would need, he realised just how short the list was which only made it harder.

The following morning, he rose early wanting to leave before most people began their morning routines, not wanting to give them proof that Marcy was right, he spent more time away from the island than he did among them.

Dressing in thermal under-layers, military shirt, trousers, boots, and a thick salvaged jumper from the Airport dyed black. He strapped on his old service belt and holsters to his thighs ready for his weapons, over it all he shrugged on a large courser's coat that he had requisitioned from the Institute that was lined with insulating fur.

He hoped that it would be enough to keep him warm, it had been a very cold night and in order to keep warm Alec had slept in the living room by the fireplace. Making his goodbyes to Codsworth he left the house and made his way to the bridge and was able to pass without challenge.

Having intended to make his journey alone, it was with some surprise that he found Dogmeat sitting under the old Minutemen Statue seemingly waiting for him. He hadn't seen the animal since the early morning when he had been let out the house to do his business and had seemingly wandered off and now, he knew where.

He didn't protest merely shook his head at the dog's antics and accepted the company and they began to hike to the north-east.

As they hiked, he found Dogmeat was more excitable than usual and found his playfulness uplifting at least until the silly animal managed to disturb a nest of mole rats and managed to annoy a lone brahmin that had chased them for twenty minutes.

Despite scolding the dog, Alec couldn't help but smile as he was overcome with nostalgia and he realised that he had neglected his fury friend.

The weather got worse as they went further north and Alec put on some gloves and a hat to keep his extremities from falling off, and he wondered if Mama Murphy was wrong for once, was this winter not going to be as bad as he thought as it was already colder than ever before.

As they hiked, Alec was reminded of the tales of a Super Mutant Behemoth that was said to roam the area and he was careful to avoid the creature not willing to take it on with only two pistols and a laser riffle. With Dogmeat at his side he was careful to avoid its territory but saw clear signs that the tales were true.

Eventually they crossed into a familiar gulley and Alec immediately grabbed hold of Dogmeats collar was his left hand. This gulley was more dangerous than it appeared and while he knew the dog had a knack for avoiding trouble, he wasn't about to test that here.

Over a year before he had been contracted by Paladin Danse to find out what had happened to Recon Team Artemis which had been sent to the Commonwealth three years before and had gone missing and was presumed dead.

It had been another attempt by Danse to try and entice and recruit him into the Brotherhood, however Alec was only interested in the resources and Caps that Danse promised in payment.

He had followed the trail and it had eventually led him to this very gulley and he had seen a group of raiders explode as they stepped on a mine. Knowing this Alec was glad that he had made this journey before the snow began to stick to the ground, as he could carefully navigate the gulley and avoided the mines that protected the old concrete bunker enabling them to approach its old metal door.

This was the home of the lone survivor of the Artemis Recon Team, Paladin Brandis, and this time he was hopefully more agreeable to visitors at his front door.

When Alec has met Brandis that first time, he had thought the man odd from his time alone, but more than that he had seemed to be defeated. The old Paladin had no desire to return to the Brotherhood who had been stationed in Cambridge Police Station, content to be left alone in his solitary life in this bunker

Thinking back to that day, he thought there was more to Paladin Brandis than he had originally cared to learn, all he had wanted back then was the information about all the members of Artemis Team in order to get the money he needed to finance his search for Shaun.

Letting go of Dogmeats collar he knocked on the door.

"Brandis its Alec, open up." He called. "We met a year or so ago after I found the remains of your team."

"I wondered if you would come for me." Said the disembodied voice through the metal door, "are you here to kill me like you did my brothers?"

Dogmeat whined slightly becoming restless as he sensed the tension and Alec touched his head to reassure him. It didn't surprise him that Brandis knew what had happened in the south, he imagined the old man must listen to the radio what else could he do out here.

"If it was my intention to kill you Brandis do you think I would actually knock?" Alec asked lightly, "I am only here to talk, you have my word. As one soldier to another."

There was silence for a long moment before he heard the grinding of metal as Brandis slid back the locking bolts and the door opened with a loud creek of rusted hinges, and suddenly Alec was looking down the barrel of a laser rifle again.

Next to him a low growl emanated from Dogmeats and his hackles raised as he reacted to the situation and Alec quickly grabbed his collar again before he could pounce. Over the last two years he had trained Dogmeat to be able to better support him in a fight and would rather he didn't bite the Paladin before he had the chance to put his offer to the old man.

"What do we have to talk about Alec." The old man asked sparing only a courtesy glance to the growling dog before looking back at Alec. "Once I was a Paladin of the Brotherhood of Steel, but no more. I am just an old man living in exile and have been for four years."

He spoke bitterly and it made Alec wonder again why Brandis was in a self-imposed exile, it must be a punishment of some kind and it couldn't just be because of the loss of his team, that was a risk of being a soldier after all and he was a veteran.

"You are obviously aware that the Brotherhood of Steel was defeated at Boston Airport." Alec stated, "I have claimed possession of all Brotherhood assets at the Airship in the name of the Commonwealth."

"What of the soldiers?" Brandis demanded, "did you execute them all?"

"Of course not!" Alec refuted sharply offended by the notion. "They were fellow soldiers! The only ones who died were killed in combat and I have ensured that they were buried with respect, I even saved their holotags."

"So where are the survivors?" Brandis asked, "Did you imprison them?"

"There are no survivors." Alec said and quickly elaborated, "we took no prisoners and allowed your former brothers to flee the battle. According to my scouts they have now entered what remains of the state of Connecticut, we know no more. I have no desire to pursue them beyond the borders of the Commonwealth."

The gun didn't waiver in Brandis's hands, but Alec thought he saw the surprise on his face, and after a long moment the old man lowered his weapon and allowed him inside.

Since the last time he had entered the bunker there were some obvious changes, additional salvaged technology, stockpiles of food and resources. Brandis was prepared for the winter and had added some additional insulation to the bunker and had built two tower heaters.

However, something else drew Alecs attention that was most definitely out of place. Brandis was not alone, there was a woman sitting inside, dressed in standard field scribe gear, looking increasingly nervous.

"Haylen!" Alec blinked; he had never thought to see her again. Let alone find her sitting at Brandis's table. "What are you doing here?"

The question startled her, and she looked to Brandis for a moment as if hoping for him to help her, but he chose to ignore her as he continued to watch Alec critically while trying to ignore Dogmeat who was sniffing around his boots.

"For a long time, I have had questions about the Brotherhood, of who they were and who they have become." She said awkwardly, "I couldn't find the answers at the Police Station or Airport, so I thought to look outside the Brotherhood, from someone outside of its influence and from one who might have an older perspective and I remembered you finding Brandis here."

"I left the Brotherhood in Cambridge and came here and as I found my answers you destroyed the Brotherhood. If I hadn't had left the Police station then I would be among those exiled from the Commonwealth, I was fortunate."

"So, you're a deserter?" Alec said shocked, he known her to be idealistic but hadn't thought her one to abandon her station.

"Yes." Hayley said shamefully.

"You should feel no shame." Alec said firmly, "Your loyalty is admirable but the Brotherhood you served no longer served its noble mission if it ever did and at its heart it had become corrupt."

"It wasn't always." Brandis refuted darkly.

Alec looked at him and saw the fury on his face and again knew that this was part of the reason behind his exile.

"Haylen here came to you for these answers." Alec said with great interest, "you have been a member of the Brotherhood for years, you must once have believed in its mission. So, what changed?"

Brandis sighed and sat himself down and glared at Dogmeat who had rested his head on his leg and looked up at him expectantly waging his tail.

"I suppose I should start at the beginning. I was not born into the Brotherhood; I was rescued by them as a child along with twenty others and we were taken to the Capitol Wastes and was raised by them and eventually initiated into their ranks." He said staring at a far away place, lost in his memories.

"Back then, the Brotherhoods primary mission was the protection of the innocent people of the Capitol Wastes. We had secondary objectives of course, but not at the expense of protecting the people."

"This was the Brotherhood I was raised in and I served, the Brotherhood created and named for Elder Owyn Lyons. He was truly a great man but is a highly controversial figure in the history of the Brotherhood of Steel. The Lyons Brotherhood Chapter was excommunicated by the larger Brotherhood Command and eventually the chapter itself fractured, a group splintered off and formed the Outcasts and believed themselves the true Brotherhood chapter of the Capitol Wastes."

Alec absorbed this information like a sponge his knowledge of the Brotherhood was limited to what he had learnt and experienced since leaving Vault 111. What Brandis was describing sounded nothing like the Brotherhood that had come to the Commonwealth to steal technology and eradicate the Institute.

"I've never heard of this Elder Lyons, what happened to him?" Alec asked and wondered where Arthur fit into the story.

"He died." Brandis said sadly but he caught the look on Alecs face and quickly added, "he was old, he died of natural causes. His death was a great loss to the Lyons Brotherhood, but his vision and mission and the chapter survived through his daughter who was elected to the position of Elder after him."

"Sarah Lyons." Haylen interjected with a sense of awe, "despite her position as Elder, she continued to fight on the front lines. She led the Brotherhood for just under a year before she was killed in combat."

Alec respected that, he liked to do the same as much as possible but now he wondered whether his vision for the Commonwealth would outlive him or die with him.

"With her death the Lyons Brotherhood Chapter was practically over." Brandis said bitterly and Alec saw the obvious pain on his face. "I have heard people whisper about her death; many believe there was a conspiracy behind it but there was never any proof."

Judging by his tone, Brandis was among those who was not sure her death was accidental and if Alec had followed the brief history correctly there would have been a motive to remove the last Lyons from the Brotherhood.

"I know that the East Coast Chapter came from the Capitol Wastes, so where does Arthur factor into all of this?" Alec asked, "When did he come into the picture?"

"Arthur was there!" Brandis said his brows raising in surprise. "The boy was sent to Lyons as a fosterling. He was raised within the Brotherhood and he lived through it all and witnessed the downfall of the everything Lyons had built though the subsequently ineffectual leaders who came after both Lyons Elders."

It was odd to think of the legendary Brotherhood Elder as a child, Alec was used to the image of the man.

"The story of the rise of Arthur Maxson is a favourite among new recruits." Haylen interjected, "he rose up during those bad days in the Capitol Wastes, proving himself to be a capable warrior and tactician and secured several victories. He was given a leadership position provisionally at the age of sixteen!"

"A sixteen-year-old in charge of an entire chapter?" Alec said wide eyed, "surely that was met with scorn?"

Both of the former Brotherhood members exchanged a look of confusion.

"He is a Maxson." Haylen stated simply, "the last of the bloodline, he was always destined to become a leader of the Brotherhood."

Looking between them, he realised there was a part of the Brotherhood history he didn't know, and it was something they took for granted.

"I know people talk about him being the last Maxson, but why is it so important?"

It was Brandis who came to his rescue realising what the problem was.

"The Brotherhood was founded officially in 2082 by Arthurs ancestor, Roger Maxson." He explained, "Over the years the Maxsons have long held positions of significance within the Brotherhood, they are expected not only to follow in their footsteps but exceed those who came before."

That was a missing piece of the puzzle, he had known Maxson was an important figure but have never really understood why, he was a symbol that the Brotherhood would rally behind and now Alec realised just how dangerous he was and the fact that he escaped Boston weighed heavy on him now.

"It was always expected he would lead the Brotherhood, but that is a lot of pressure to put on a child and it had made him the man that he is, along with everything he saw as a child." Haylen added.

"I told you that the Lyons Brotherhood splintered." Brandis said and on receiving a nod from Alec he continued, "The young provisional Elder, at the young age of sixteen made contact with the Outcasts and managed to negotiate a treaty which brought them back into the fold and once more united the Brotherhood of Capitol Wastes."

Alec raised his eyebrows at this and wondered if this was the work of the boy or his name or a mixture of both.

"However, what really consolidated his position was when he re-established the connection with Lost Hills on the West Coast." Haylen began to say but was stopped by Alec from going further.

"The Lost Hills?" He asked confused, "again you will need to explain what that is."

"oh, its the headquarters of the entire Brotherhood of Steel." Haylen explained, "It oversees and coordinates all of the Chapters of the Brotherhood spread over the North America. It is located somewhere in California."

If this Lost Hills was in California then it could be possible that it was no longer active given the reports of this New California Republic rising up in the West. If the Brotherhood leadership to the west had been weakened by this NCR nation then it was very possible that Arthur Maxson might not have the necessary support he would need to mount a second invasion on the Commonwealth.

Before he could think on that further as Brandis picked up his history lesson.

"Arthur Maxson is incredibly ambitious, he reshaped the reforged the Brotherhood anew and created a new doctrine and sought to eradicate most of the practices that Elder Lyons established. He wasn't content with his hold on only the Capitol Wastes he sought control of the Entire Eastern Seaboard. A conquest worthy of a Maxson I suppose, and the _Prydwen_ was conceived to facilitate that plan and while it was under construction, he sent out the recon teams to scout the east coast in preparation for his move east."

"I know the first team arrived in 2282." Alec said thinking back to the what he had learnt from the Institute records, "You were a part of the second, and Haylen here was a part of the third."

Brandis nodded and his expression soured. "Do you know why I was given the command of Artemis? I was too outspoken about the changes being done within the Brotherhood, too nostalgic for days of the Lyons Brotherhood, and so I was sent away."

"I can tell you don't like the Brotherhoods new mission." Alec stated.

"I did not." Brandis said, "I felt like we had suddenly just abandoned the people who had come to depend on us. I was raised much like Arthur under the tutelage of Elder Lyons, I learnt and lived the principles of his Chapter of the Brotherhood, what Arthur built was a mockery of everything Lyons had taught us."

"The dreams of Arthur Maxson killed my team. I don't deny I have accountability for the failure of Artemis, but I will never forget that, but I also blame Arthur Maxson. I respect him as a soldier and even a leader despite our differences, he has accomplished great things, but my loyalty remains to the vision of Elder Lyons, not the self-gratification of Arthur Maxson."

Dogmeat whined loudly and looked up at Brandis who was still ignoring him.

"He is persistent." Brandis snorted and scratched Dogmeats ears.

"You just made the mistake of stroking him." Alec said fondly, "he won't let you be now until he gets tired of you."

Brandis looked up from Dogmeat and looked at Alec frowning, "You didn't come here for the history lesson, so what did you want?"

"No." Alec agreed however he did not regret learning about the history of the Brotherhood, first step in any war was know your enemy after all. "You have taught me a great deal about the Brotherhood, it has a complicated history and I wish I could have met your Elder Lyons. He sounds like a remarkable man."

"He was a visionary." Brandis said nostalgically, "He would have liked you and what you have done here in the Commonwealth, if what Haylen tells me is true."

The field scribe blushed at the compliment, "Paladin Danse always spoke highly of you, and wanted you to join the Brotherhood before…"

"Before he was driven away by the bigotry of anything non-human." Alec finished for her and he turned back to Brandis, "The reason I came here today was because I am looking to build a new military for the Commonwealth, and I was hoping you would help me."

Neither of the former Brotherhood members had expected that and gaped like fish.

"But I am of the Brotherhood?" Brandis pointed out surprised, "I am an old man, why would you want me?"

"You were of the Brotherhood." Alec stated firmly, "your account today has only reinforced that view. I intend to unite the Commonwealth and build it into something new. You might have heard that I established the NCPG and bound the settlements to a mutual Accord."

"To achieve my goal, I need able people. What drew me to you is your experience both in terms of military knowledge and command structures, but also technological know-how would be invaluable, and I would welcome your input."

Brandis frowned but didn't give anything away or protest.

"Haylen I would be honoured if you would also join us too." Alec said turning to the young scribe

"So, would we become part of the Commonwealth Minutemen?" Haylen asked looking intrigued, he remembered her being interested in his involvement with them before. "You are the General, aren't you?"

"No, I intend to disband the Minutemen. They are a civilian militia and to achieve my goal the Commonwealth needs a diverse military." Alec explained quickly, "We will need Army, Navy, Airforce and Engineering divisions if we are to be able to deal with any threat."

Two sets of eyebrows rose at that declaration and they knew he counted the Brotherhood as one of those threats.

"I didn't account for you being here Haylen, however I think the Engineering Division would be the right fit for you, if you are you if you are agreeable?" Alec propositioned off the cuff but thought it would suit her.

She didn't take long to consider his offer before nodding eagerly, "from what I have heard of the Minutemen, they don't deal much with technology, so we will need to start an engineering division from scratch. It will be a challenge, but I am in."

Not about to argue with her, he was glad to have her on board as he knew she was a capable scribe and had a lot of skills that would be of use.

"Thank you, your right that the Minutemen are primitive in comparison to the Brotherhood. However, you will have access to the resources, materials and technology you will need." Alec said somewhat awkwardly, "the airport, Prydwen, vertibird, power armour and anything else that is there is now at my disposal."

Haylen sat open mouthed in shock but that didn't last long, and Alec thought he saw a light appear behind her eyes and she became thoughtful as if she was thinking of all the work she would need to do and seemed the thrive off the thought.

A smile appeared on Alec's face as he turned away from the young scribe who seemed ready to burst with enthusiasm.

"Brandis, I admit you could serve well in either the Army or with the Engineers." Alec stated, "However with your technological and military tactical knowledge you would be suited to command the Engineer Corps."

"I could also serve in the Airforce; I know my way around a vertibird." Brandis pointed out and he considered his offer, "you might not have said it, but you know my days of being a Paladin are over. I am inclined to take you up on your offer, but I have questions before I commit."

Alec nodded having expected that he would have questions and was not surprised he was more cautious that the idealistic former scribe. He gave them a view of his vision of the future military and what he expected they would need, and they agreed but pointed out things he had not thought of.

They had many questions about the NCPG and the Accords and he had been able to give them a brief overview of what he had already been able to create and they had been surprised by the Rights and Freedoms given to the citizens of the Commonwealth but respected them.

One thing that had caused contention was the revelation that the Institute had a seat on the Council.

Having expected that, it was a common reaction and one Alec was getting used to defending and was ready with the explanation. They looked intrigued by the prospect of having Institute technology, research, and resources at their disposal in the future.

"So, Brandis will you join the Commonwealth Military?" Alec asked finally, "You have heard what I envision for the Commonwealth and its people and what I would need from you in return."

"I think I will." Brandis agreed after five hours conversation. "While I am not helping the people of the Capitol Wastes like Lyons wanted, I can help the people of the Commonwealth."

"So that I am clear by agreeing you will become citizens of the Commonwealth, you must renounce your ties with the Brotherhood formally." Alec felt the need to caution, "you will need to uphold the laws of Commonwealth."

Brandis waved that away, "I have lived here for over three years Alec, the Commonwealth is my home, I would argue I am already a citizen just not an affiliated one."

They moved on to discuss what came next and eventually settled on finding a base of operations.

"The Minutemen make use of Fort Independence." Brandis stated thinking aloud, "I do not think that would suit our needs. We need a place with workshops, warehouses and other such facilities, it will need to be defendable, a tall order I would imagine."

Thinking of his travels across the Commonwealth he mentally went through all of the locations that might serve their needs and found only one that would work. "I think Fort Hagen would work, or more specifically the Fort Hagen Hanger."

"I know of it." Haylen nodded but looked worried, "It was on a list of locations that we were supposed to scout, but never did because of a group called the Rust Devils. Have you been there?"

"I have been to Hagen twice, but I have only been to the Hanger once, but I dismantled most of the Red Devil presence there." Alec explained, "The Hanger will serve well as a headquarters for the engineer Division, and the town will also be of use to us in the future. I should warn you however, that the place will need to be thoroughly cleaned out. Its decayed since the war but is structurally sound, but those Rust Devils really did a number of the place."

"You said hanger?" Brandis said with interest, "What type of hanger? For vertibird?"

"No such luck." Alec said, "It is filled with rusted pre-war Armoured Personnel Carriers and Tanks. It will require a lot of work, but I suppose this would be the first project of the Engineer Corps. Fixing up and securing the location before moving on to new projects."

Brandis looked concerned at the prospect, "winter is here, and we should leave before the worse comes. Can you arrange for personnel and resources to be made available?"

It shocked Alec that the old man wanted to start so soon but wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth so while Brandis packed up his bunker, Alec made contact with the Castle by ham radio and gave them the order to prepare for the arrival of newly commissioned Colonel Brandis and Captain Haylen.

**O-FALLOUT-O**

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**O-FALLOUT-O**

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**O-FALLOUT-O**

**Authors Note: **I have said before that I have not played FO3, so i am hoping my research into the Lyons Brotherhood isn't too off the mark as I am not overly familiar with it!

The Engineer Division has a massive job ahead of them, they have a lot of work to do to help build up the military infrastructure but beyond that the general infrastructure of the Commonwealth.

Next Chapter we will be returning to the Castle to discuss what comes next for the Minutemen.

**O-FALLOUT-O**


	12. Chapter 12

Fallout 4: The Rise of the M.C.R

**Chapter Twelve **

**The Spoils of War**

The journey south with the two new recruits was by no way a pleasant experience as the weather was only getting worse and the journey made slower as both Brandis and Haylen were carrying everything they could from the bunker on their backs.

As they passed within a mile of County Crossing, a ramshackle farming settlement that fell under the Minutemen Protectorate Treaty, Dogmeat alerted them to a hidden danger. Following the canine's keen senses, they discovered that the settlement was about to be attacked by a dozen members of the Forged.

Despite their urgent need to hurry to the Castle, Alec couldn't just ignore the threat to one of the settlements under his protection. The two former Brotherhood members looked to Alec for orders, but he wondered if they were testing him in that moment, looking for insight into his intentions.

But it took only a look to Brandis for Alec to communicate his decision and what they must do, and the old soldier had followed his silent order without question.

Using the veil of swirling snow as camouflage, the two of them had managed to each take down a gang member without being noticed. The third however managed to get off a shot which just narrowly missed Dogmeat before he was taken out by a long distance shot from Haylen. With the element of surprise lost a gunfight ensued and they had killed them all to the last before the guards of County Crossing had arrived to investigate.

They did not linger at the settlement, merely accepted their thanks, and quickly moved on and eventually they reached the river where Alec decided to split up. He told his new recruits to cross into Charlestown and stop at Bunker Hill to get additional supplies and to introduce themselves before then moving on to the Castle.

Alec however crossed the other river as he needed to go to the Airport to make some other arrangements but also because he wanted to ensure everything secure and to arrange for a delivery of supplies and resources left by the Brotherhood were sent to Hagen.

Despite the falling snow and dark skies, it was easy to spot the airport terminal, even from a distance. Electric lights glowed brightly around its perimeter and illuminated everything in sight which would prevent anyone from stealthily trying to infiltrate the site.

The Synth Patrolmen and Coursers were quick to approach Alec thinking him hostile, but they soon recognised him and allowed him to enter the secured compound.

When he had made the decision to come to the airport Alec had hoped to meet with Valentine and X6-88 to discover what their investigation had yielded but was disappointed to learn that they had yet to return. Learning this Alec felt a niggle of fear and hoped that his old friend was alright and hadn't been caught by Maxson.

While the lack of Brotherhood soldiers and the small army of synths guarding the terminal were obvious changes since the last time Alec had been here, they were not the changes that stood out to him.

It was clear that the Institute had put synths to work rebuilding the old terminal walls and adding a new roof while doubling the amount of available space, but they had also made repairs across the entire structure.

Numerous aisles of shelving racks had been constructed and installed within the building and stacked high with boxes and boxes of the amassed treasures of the Brotherhood of Steel.

One of the groups of Synths were sorting and boxing up an assortment of chemistry materials, once done they placed a neat label onto the box and placed a lid on it before they placing it onto a shelf and beginning again.

It was hardly surprising to find boxes and boxes devoted to weapons technologies, but he saw many others that were devoted to other fields of study such as medical, energy and communications technologies.

He eventually found his way to the main archiving room, it was a square room within the terminal filled with dozens of filing cabinets, piles of boxes upon boxes, shelves filled with an array of technical components and weapons and a number of crates of who knew what.

In the centre of the room was a large well-lit desk and sat behind it was Dr Madison Li who was studying a thick roll of blueprints which even at a distance Alec could tell were clearly for the Prydwen.

"You look engrossed Maddison, what has caught your eye about the Prydwen?"

Madison jumped at the sound of his voice having been completely engrossed in her work and she frowned at being disturbed but refrained from commenting on it.

"Director." She said in a stiff greeting, "I was studying its fusion powerplant, but that is not important to you. You will have seen that the Prydwen has been docked successfully on a metal framework we had constructed. It was fortunate we had an easily accessible source of high-density mental close to hand, otherwise the ship would be consuming coolant like a fish does water."

"We have also begun to build a hanger around the airship, but it is slow going now that the weather has changed. We have emptied the airship of everything it had stored inside, and I can tell you we have barely made a dent."

Alec saw on her face that she looked excited about the fact that they still had a great deal to sort through and learn, hardly surprising given her interest in intellectual and scientific pursuits.

"I am sure there is a lot here that the Institute would be interested in." Alec said looking around the room at all of the cabinets that no doubt were full of scientific wonder. "But surely there is not much the Institute can learn from, after all the Institute is more advanced technologically than the Brotherhood."

The look Dr Li gave him made Alec bristle as she judged his intellect and seemed to be considering how she would answer.

"The Institute has pushed the limits of science and technology further than any organisation but there is still much to learn and develop. Science is always evolving, every new thing we learn can lead to something new or broadening our knowledge." She stated, "You name any field of study and you fill find some form of research or prototype devoted to it amongst the weapons we have found here. Every division of the Institute will find materials here that will help with their ongoing projects but also open over avenues of scientific pursuit."

"I am sure they are greatly interested." Alec said tersely, "for now, I don't want the Institute devouring everything here in a frenzy. This treasure trove belongs to everyone in the Commonwealth and will be used to benefit all."

She didn't look surprised by his directive if anything she looked to have expected it.

"I should also say thank you." Alec continued, "for overseeing the decommission of that monstrous robot and it is now safely hidden within Vault 88."

She acknowledged that with a brief nod before she stepped over to a rack containing numerous metal cylinders and she pulled one of them out and placed it on her desk.

"I found these this morning, they are the schematics for Liberty Prime." She told him, "it holds not only the original plans for the Mark I but also the Brotherhood Mark II. I was impressed with the modifications they made to the design since I last worked on it, although they hadn't successfully fixed the flaws in the power systems."

"I would rather Liberty Prime was forgotten." Alec said tapping the cylinder gently, "it was a devastating weapon, and it's not one that I would have in the Commonwealths arsenal. I would imagine there is still much to learn from these?"

"More than you know." Li stated, "had the Brotherhood obtained the beryllium agitator then Liberty Prime could have easily enabled them to infiltrate the Institute,"

Alec raised his eyebrows in surprise having never considered the possibility that the robot could have found the Institute hidden under Cambridge, but then it was common knowledge that the Institute was born out of the remnants of CIT.

"How?" Alec asked.

"The Brotherhood fitted Liberty Prime with a devastating laser weapon." Dr Li explained, "It was adapted from a Tunnel Boring Laser, if the beam was maintained it would be capable of boring straight down through the earth and breaching our subterranean structures."

A shudder overcame Alec as he remembered the robot powering its laser weapon and realise just what power it had and what it could have done to him.

"Director, while you were able to defeat Liberty Prime you must remember that it was not fully operational given its power constraints." Li warned, "It is still possible that the Brotherhood could construct another, and if they fix the power issues then it may be a good thing we have not destroyed the robot."

Alec blinked at Dr Li; he never would have thought it possible for the Brotherhood to construct another monstrous robot. It had been built before the war, and hoped the means construct such a thing had died with the United States of America. But then if the Brotherhood could construct something as large as the Prydwen…

"If they could build the Prydwen from scratch then it would be no small thing to build another Liberty Prime, so long as they had access to the materials needed."

"Exactly, it is entirely possible." Li acknowledged, "It would take a lot of time to do but they will not forget what we did here."

Distracted by the fantastical thoughts of a Brotherhood led invasion of the Commonwealth by an army of robots, Alec paced the room and looked around at everything with new eyes and Dr Li let him recognising that he needed to process the information.

"When the Brotherhood left Washington, it couldn't possibly have brought everything with them, even with the Prydwen. Maxson won't have abandoned the Pentagon either, it is a Brotherhood Stronghold, and I imagine that is where they are all intending to regroup. But what could they have there that might still threaten us?"

It was said aloud but Alec was talking to himself, but Dr Li was watching him pace and talk and she tilted her head in contemplation and studied him like a scientific problem that needed to be understood and he called her out for it.

"It is odd to hear you use the old names, especially up here in the Wasteland." She explained awkwardly, "most wastelanders are ignorant of what once was and use the bastard names of what now is. I forget that you are a man out of time."

Despite his turbulent thoughts he couldn't help but laugh at her words especially given the Institutes familiarity of his history and remembering Pipers choice words about him.

"You are right to worry about what else the Brotherhood might have at their disposal." Dr Li warned, "Since the end of the Great War the Brotherhood has scoured the wasteland taking anything they could get their hands on, there is no telling what they might have found. Now shall I tell you what we have so far inventoried?"

**o-FALLOUT-o**

The change in weather saw the Commonwealth Minutemen mostly disbanded as the civilian militia returned home to wait out the winter. This meant that the Castle was quieter than normal, but it still maintained an active garrison all of whom were hard at work making winter preparations.

Over the last month, work had been carried out under the Castle to stabilise the old tunnels with concrete and several new areas had also been painstakingly excavated for additional secure storage and a new communications room. The latter was so that the radio operator could work more comfortably and to stop the equipment being damaged by the elements.

Within the rebuilt walls were the barracks which houses the Castle garrison for which Ronnie Shaw had sourced numerous beds, mattresses, blankets and even had the Atom Cats create heating lamps at no small cost to ensure that the garrison would remain warm and well rested and not abandon them for home.

The Castle now also boasted a kitchen and canteen that had been built into another section of the rebuilt walls. It was rather ramshackle having been sourced from the ruins of commercial kitchens in the city, but they had the equipment they needed to feed the garrison so long as they had food in their stores.

It was the food stores that had brought Preston and Ronnie down under the Castle and they were overseeing a full inventory of all their supplies, they were suspiciously lower than they should be and suspected someone had been helping themselves.

Under normal circumstances the theft of food wouldn't be so serious but the supply routes that stocked the Castle with food were running dry as settlements were stockpiling their food and resources and the Minutemen were far from being self-sufficient and were dependent on the generosity of the people they protected.

It took a them a while to complete the inventory and the two of them locked the stores and posted a guard to the door, theft could not be tolerated now and if the thief was caught they would be punished in some fashion, they had to set an example.

Leaving the stores the two of them went up onto the walls of the old fort despite the cold so that they could have a conversation without fear of being overhead, the artillery placements were no longer manned as they couldn't see the signals which would necessitate fire anymore.

"Well we have confirmed what we thought, we do not have the necessary food to last the winter." Ronnie scowled in a low voice once sure they were alone. "We can ration what we have left, but even then it will be tight, and I worry that our people might think to leave."

Preston nodded deep in thought, he knew that such a decision would not be popular among the garrison, but he couldn't see an alternative. They had been blind to the thefts and had reacted after the damage was done, something that plagued the Minutemen in almost everything they did.

"Food is the one resource that will not last the winter." Ronnie continued, "We have heat, water, medicine and shelter aplenty, I think this might be the one of hardest tests the Generals Minutemen have faced. Call the General, this needs to be fixed and urgently, maybe he has the contacts we need."

"No." Preston said firmly, "Alec placed me in the command while he went to Vault 88, I failed when he went north but I will not fail in my duty now."

"That was a no-win situation, so the blame for the Warwick situation doesn't fall on you." Ronnie stated grimly before pointing out the obvious, "If we cannot feed our people then the Minutemen will not survive. If you are taking this burden on then you must have a plan Colonel?"

Usually it was Ronnie who found solutions for the resourcing issues of the Minutemen, she was the one who got them everything they needed to protect the Commonwealth and a minute's notice. Realising that if she couldn't find a solution, Preston began to doubt he could and wondered if his pride was stopping him calling the General.

Pushing those thoughts aside he forced himself to think while he stood looking out over the Commonwealth, it was barely visible through the snowfall and the cold chill that creeped through his bones went unnoticed as he was so caught up in the matter at hand.

Eventually he asked, "what funds do we have?"

"About two thousand Caps." Ronnie told him, "however if you are thinking of buying the food we need it won't be that easy. People are stockpiling and will not wish to sell their produce. I spoke with a Cricket from Bunker Hill, you wouldn't believe the cost of food right now, its extortionate."

It was hardly surprising that she had already considered his own idea of how to solve their food shortage problems. Preston began to walk to try and warm himself back up in the hopes of unfreezing his brain so that an idea would come to him, but all he could think was that Ronnie was right, the issue was people stockpiling.

Shifting his gaze from what he could see of the ruined cityscape of Boston to out behind the water where an old boat sat bobbing on the waves and being buffeted was the wind and wondered what lay beyond the horizon. What did the world look like beyond the Commonwealth, how far did the water stretch, was there a better life beyond the Commonwealth where food was a plenty and you didn't have to fight to survive.

Suddenly an idea came to him and he began to wrestle with an idea that he knew sounded mad and thought it likely to be the Generals influence, him, and his stories of the old world.

"How many among the garrison are able engineers, builders or mechanics?" He asked Ronnie suddenly, he wanted to know if his idea would even be feasible given the small number of available men and women and silently wished Sturges was here, he would definitely be able to do it.

Ronnie had been startled by his sudden question, but it didn't stop her from answering diligently despite not knowing what he was thinking of trying to do.

"A few, we have them working on the communication rooms construction, but we can reassign them if needed."

With that fact everything began to fall into place as he considered the issue again and wondered if it could possibly be that simple.

"If the issue is people stockpiling then we shall take people out of the situation." Preston told her, "I want you to arrange for a Provisioner Caravan to be sent to Graygarden. It's run by robots who only need enough to reseed their fields and greenhouse, we can use whatever they have left so long as no one else has go there before us."

Ronnie nodded and he could see her working through what he said in her head but if she found fault she kept it to herself and instead said.

"It will not be an easy journey, the roads are dangerous," She cautioned.

"I know, the caravan will need additional guards." Preston said quickly, "I also want the Caravan to attempt to hunt, I know radstag are within that vicinity and it will be too good an opportunity to let slide, we will need the meat."

"What of the workers?" She asked frowning as she wondered at his previous question, "What do you have need of them for?"

Preston smiled now and pointed out onto the water.

"I want that boat brought over to the docks, and we can see if it can be salvaged. The earth cannot provide us with food, but the water just might." He told her, "If we can get that boat working then we have just found ourselves a source of food, how do you like fish?"

"Fish?" Ronnie stuttered, "You want us to fish?"

Before Preston could elaborate a bell rang from the Castles front gate signalling that someone was approaching via the road, the two of them made their way over the battlements and looked down the pathway to see two people approaching from the city.

**o-FALLOUT-o**

While the people of the Commonwealth had been outraged by the Brotherhood of Steels attacks on Warwick and Spectral Island they had been completely unaware of a third attack that had been orchestrated by the militant faction.

The group targeted had not been without defences, but they didn't count for much when put against the strength of a power armoured battalion converging on them at once, they were lucky to have received a minutes notice before the entrance exploded and soldiers rushed in and began to butcher everyone.

Just as the Brotherhood had breached the front entrance, a small number of the group had managed to use small amount of advance notice to slip away through a secret passage built in case of such an event some time before due to a security concern.

It had been a very near thing, but the survivors of the attack managed to escape the Brotherhood by fleeing deep into the undercity of Boston, using the labyrinth of tunnels to hide from any scout who might be sent through the passage if it was found.

For a month, the survivors resided under the city, making us of what supply caches they had hidden away for such an occasion, but it was hardly living, especially with the reeking smell and the danger of Feral Ghouls lurking around every corner.

Eventually with the weather changing, the lack of further supplies and the need to escape the danger of the tunnels they were forced to return topside and they made their way to their current home.

There were risks with them coming to the surface in Cambridge, but they had no choice, they needed to find a place that was dry, warm, clean, and well supplies but above all else could provides secrecy and security.

When they had entered the building, they had almost been met with weapons fire, those inside had been shocked to discover the survivors standing before them having thought them all dead in the massacre.

They had been brought inside and quickly caught up on everything that had happened since they had been driven underground and had barely been able to believe just how much has so suddenly changed.

None of them, could have predicted that the Brotherhood attacks would have culminated to their defeat at the hands of the both the Minutemen working alongside the Institute. Or that Alec Carter would return and lead the attack, let alone the strange rumours of the time that said he was meeting with various settlement leaders.

The survivors remained in Cambridge longer than they thought they would, a few of them had picked up a sickness in the tunnels that required some intensive doctoring so instead used their time devouring the news coming from Diamond City Radio.

With the position somewhat more permanent they had decided to keep their existence a secret, they did not reach back out to their network and allowed them to continue to be believed dead. They needed time to recover and a plan for what would come next which seemed very vague at that moment.

When the news came that Alec had not only summoned the Commonwealth Leaders to a meeting to the south, but had managed to create the NCPG bound by the terms of the Accords, they had all be as shocked as the rest of the Commonwealth and arguments and debates broke out on what it would mean for the future.

Alec Carter was known to the group, over a year before he had found them while following leads looking for his son. He had used them in order to achieve his goals and they had also used him for his skills. In the end he had cut off communication with them and last they knew he had made his way into the Institute, but they didn't know what happened.

A bald man walked into the room that had been set aside for the leaders of the survivors, it had large dirty windows that offered a surprisingly beautiful view of the city and snowstorm. The room was not empty though, a woman stood seemingly admiring the view.

"How are the repairs progressing." The woman said without turning around.

The bald man took a seat and casually picked up a copy of Guns and Bullets and flicked through the pages.

"Still ongoing." He reported, "Should be back up and running soon, we had to salvage some parts from a protectron, it rekindled that old debate, you can imagine how it went."

"Deal with it." The woman said firmly, "that repair is our topmost priority, without it we are working with our eyes closed, we need it."

"Right you are boss." The man replied easily not looking away from his magazine, but it was hard to tell what he was looking at behind his glasses. "Tom gave me a list of materials and components he needs, not just for the robot but also for repairs to the old generator. We need to go to Bunker Hill for supplies and people are talking about getting our network operational again."

The woman glanced at him for a moment before resuming her study of the city, her expression unreadable.

"No, you will do the supply run yourself and you will wear one of your disguises." She told him in a voice that made it very clear it was an order, "We are not ready to resume our normal activities, we cannot even make contact with Patriot, for now we must lay as low as we can."

Despite the tone used on him the man didn't seem bothered by it and just shrugged.

"While you at Bunker Hill, use that mouth of yours to get more information from the traders and if you can Kessler herself. I want to know more about this NCPG and Accords, what is their intent beyond what's on the radio. More importantly, I want to know more about the Institute and its involvement, why have they suddenly come out of the shadows?"

The bald man nodded, he understood his mission was not only to get the supplies they needed to survive, it was to get news which would serve as data for the robot once it was repaired.

Just as he was leaving the room she said quietly.

"Do you still think it was worthy vouching for him when he came?"

The man turned back and replied.

"I do, not only because of what he did for us, but also because if I hadn't we would be dead. It was because of the Professor that we built that passage that allowed us to escape, if he had never joined us we would have been cut down with the others."

**o-FALLOUT-o**

The journey from the Airport to the Castle was not easy nor was it quick, by the time Alec and Dogmeat were travelling up the road that led to the forts door they were very cold and tired.

Not for the first time that day it occurred to Alec that it would have been faster and easier to travel between the two points if he could make use of the water. But the only working boat he had seen belonged to the Nakano's and he made a note to speak to Brandis about it.

When they entered the parade ground of the fort they were met by Preston and Ronnie who quickly told him that they had two members of the Brotherhood imprisoned awaiting his attention and were startled when Alec told them to release them immediately and to meet him within his quarters.

His quarters were positioned in one of the bastions of the fort, it was well-lit and comfortable if furnished spartanly. In the middle of the room sat a large antique table and onto it at some time had been carved a magic of the Boston and the outlining areas.

Despite being made General, Alec never had much use of the room given that he spent most of his time on the road and mostly led from the field only coming and going as he needed or as requested via Radio Freedom.

But on one such occasion had spent some time going through the contents of the room to see what had survived the mirelurk occupation of the fort and had been surprised to discover a box filled with carved wooden figures and realised that at some time a General had likely used the table to plot out minutemen deployments.

Not that Alec had ever used it, the figures were within the old bureau against the wall and the table was used as a place to sit, eat, and write when necessary.

He was not made to wait long, Preston and Ronnie returned and brought with them Brandis and Haylen who had been relieved of their belongings and weapons but were unarmed and looked thoroughly amused by everything.

"General why did you order them released?" Preston questioned, "The Brotherhood is an enemy of the Commonwealth. We tried to question them when they arrived, but they refused to say anything until you yourself arrived."

"We didn't tell them anything General Carter." Brandis said calmly not at all worried about the situation, "We knew you would need to explain some things and didn't want to make things more complicated."

"Thank you Brandis." Alec said and gestured for them all to take a seat, "Colonel Preston Garvey, Ronnie Shaw might I introduce Colonel Jacob Brandis and Captain Rachel Haylen of the Commonwealth Engineer Corps."

The two veteran Minutemen blinked in surprise given the familiarity between Alec and Brandis and balked at the introduction.

"The Commonwealth Engineer Corps?" Preston questioned, "what is that?"

Alec gave a rueful smile and began to brief them on everything that had happened, from the formation of the NCPG and the creation of the Accords to an overview of his intentions and what he planned to build in the future.

They had questions, which was natural as some of what Alec told them was now common knowledge and they had heard about it on the radio. But for the most part they just listened and tried to take it all in.

"So, your building a new military, one that would rival the military power of the Brotherhood of Steel." Preston said looking shellshocked, "but what does this mean for the Minutemen? Are you forgetting all the work you have put into rebuilding it since you became General?"

"Not at all." Alec reassured him and considered how best to answer and relieve some of Preston's fears before he continued. "My goal is to successfully unite the Commonwealth, if I am to succeed I will need a strong but diverse military to deal with any and all threats, especially the Brotherhood."

"When the Brotherhood attacked the Warwick Homestead and stole the resources from Spectral Island the Minutemen were powerless. The Brotherhood had superior numbers, organisation, equipment, and resources. It took the Institutes technology along with the Minutemen artillery to take down the airport, but it was coursers on the ground fighting not our men."

Preston did not argue with his point but there was a stubborn set to his face that meant he was not yet convinced the Minutemen were not the answer. On the other hand, Ronnie looked intrigued by his proposal.

"Our future military will be formed from four separate branches: Army, Navy, Airforce and Engineers." Alec explained, "The Minutemen have served the Commonwealth with pride and honour, but it can only ever do so much. We need a new military force that will be better trained, better equipped and better placed to help the people which means it is time for change."

It looked like Preston was about to argue with him, but Ronnie cut him off before he had the chance.

"I understand what your trying to do." She stated, "but what does this mean for the Minutemen now? Do you have a plan for this transition?"

"The Commonwealth Minutemen will be disbanded and be reformed into the Commonwealth Armed Forces which will be made up of several different branches which will provide a diverse and versatile ground force of troops. Should any Minuteman wish to continue their service with this new military then they may do so. Most will be assigned to the Armed Force Branch but any with a technical background will be assigned to the Engineer Corps.

"What of the Minutemen Protectorate Treaty?" Preston demanded, "most of those settlements are not a signatory of these Accords you made, what happens to them?"

"Nothing at all." Alec replied simply, "the NCPG and myself are committed to upholding the protectorate."

"Colonel you should know that as we made our way here the three of us stopped a raider attack on the County Crossing Settlement." Brandis interjected, "The General might be looking to change the Minutemen but the principles on which it was built remain unchanged. The Commonwealth Military will serve to protect the people, which I think is why you likely joined the Minutemen yourself."

Preston nodded in agreement despite himself which made Alec relax slightly, Preston was devoted to helping people if he could see that is exactly what they were trying to do he would eventually get on board.

"This is ambitious General, even for you." Ronnie said looking over the map etched into the table, "I never thought I would live to see such a thing but then I never thought the Minutemen would come back."

"You want to help people Colonel Garvey, which is admirable, but think of the good a fully trained and equipped force could do. From what the General has said you are forever dealing with raiders and super mutants attacking settlements, what if rather than being defensive and reactive you could strike first and root out those that threaten the lives of those you wish to protect?" Haylen pointed out, "I too want the same thing which is why I left the Brotherhood."

"I understand." Preston said at last, "You have always helped those who couldn't help themselves, I remember when you found us in Concord. Very well, if this is what you think you must do General then I will stand with you."

Breathing a sigh of relief Alec went to the sideboard and pulled out a bottle of whiskey and some cups and poured them all one before resuming his seat.

"The command structure of the Commonwealth Military will evolve as it grows but for now it will remain simple, but it will have a very clear hierarchy." Alec explained, "I will be General of the Commonwealth Forces, overseeing all four branches. But each branch will also need a leader, I made Brandis a Colonel and will be giving him command of the Engineer Corps."

"Who will command the Armed Forces?" Preston asked, "you are our most seasoned leader."

He couldn't help it, but Alec laughed loudly.

"Preston you are already a Colonel." Alec stated, "I am placing you in command of the Armed Force branch of the new military."

"But I…" Preston stuttered.

"You won't be alone." Alec reassured him, "We will need to grow the military and you will have to recruit those who will be able to support you. You made me General three years ago because you didn't feel you deserved it, but you have served me well and I am giving you a position I think you are still suited for."

Haylen cleared her throat now and looked nervous.

"What is it?" Ronnie asked, "Don't be shy girl."

"I mean no disrespect but if you are to succeed in building a strong military you will need to train your soldiers, install discipline in them to ensure that everything runs smoothly." She said, "I have heard of what happened in Quincy…"

Ronnie laughed loudly at the girl and smacked the table with her hand.

"You girly, have more balls than half the men I have seen strut about this fort." She laughed, "you're not wrong, most barely know how to clean or maintain their weapons."

Alec remained silent he had already thought about the training of the military branches and remembered his own time in Basic Training in the US Army. He had hated it, but it taught him the basics and he never would forget those lessons.

"That is a problem for another day." Brandis said firmly, "we must turn our attention to preparing our move to Hagen."

Preston pulled out a bottle cap from his pocket and placed it on the map etched into the table and began to point out some of the known threats and strongholds known in the area they intended to claim.

"The town is abandoned I believe." Preston told them, "But that doesn't mean no one is there, to get that place operational you are going to need people, especially if you are to make it secure otherwise your asking for the Gunners or Raiders to try and take it."

"Not just people we are going to need resources." Haylen added, "We have a rough idea of the lay of the land, but the General didn't exactly take an inventory when he was there. Besides, we will not take the whole town, not yet, we instead will focus our efforts on just the Hagen Hanger."

Brandis nodded at his young protégé, "It's a smaller fortification and from what the General has said it has everything we need to begin to build the Engineer Division so we can support the other branches once they are established. I hasten to add that we must begin immediately if we are to claim and secure the site before the snow stops us."

The weather was worrying Alec, it was the worst winter he had experienced this side of the Great War but in the back of his mind he kept thinking on what Mama Murphy has said, this wasn't the winter to worry about and if that was true what was to come!

But Brandis was right about the Hagen Hanger, if they could claim it and get the resources they needed there before the worse of the weather hit then they had all the time they would need to clean it out and make it structurally safe to begin growing the division in the spring.

Ronnie placed her clipboard containing the inventory of the Castles resources and then pulled out a notepad to make notes.

"What resources and supplies will you need." Ronnie asked the two engineers, "We cannot provide you with food as our own stores are low, but we have a surplus of everything else so we can at least get you started on what you will need."

That was news to Alec, and he turned to sharply to Preston, "why is there a shortage of food Colonel?"

The man flinched slightly from the steely look Alec gave him, but he didn't back down. "I am handling it General." Preston said firmly, "I have already made arrangements to secure us the food we need to for the garrison here. Now, if Colonel Brandis will be taking some of our people we will not have as many mouths to feed which means we might not need as much as I previously thought."

It was at the moment that Alec suddenly realised that it wasn't only his responsibility to ensure that the Castle had everything it needed to last the winter. He was so used to having to resolve and fix things himself it had become second nature but now Preston was taking on that responsibility.

He could force the issue and might be able to assist but then to do so would completely undermine the authority and position he had bestowed on his friend and to do it in front of everything would be unfair and harmful to their relationship.

Instead Alec changed the subject which took Preston by surprise having clearly thought he would have to explain himself.

"How many Minutemen are garrisoned here?"

"Twenty as of an hour ago." Preston said, "We sent out a provisioner caravan and guards."

It was a pitiful number, but the Minutemen were voluntary, and people wanted to be home with their families in the winter in case of any trouble. The issue was Alec didn't know what the current status of Hagen or the Hanger was, and they might need boots on the ground to deal with any resistance.

"We will need support to claim Hagen." Brandis said, "Not only to root out enemies from the Hanger but we also will need a work force."

"I can only provide one squad." Preston said firmly, "That's five Minutemen with normal provisions and whatever extra Ronnie here says we can spare. To give you more will mean the Castle is undermanned and we will not be able to help anyone who calls for aid."

"We will take it." Brandis accepted easily thinking it over.

They continued to discuss the future and make plans for the future but more importantly to Alec was to foster a good working relationship between the two Colonels as they would need to work together quiet often in the future.

Ronnie was given an official rank for the first time, a Sergeant of the Commonwealth Armed Forces and was appointed as the Castle Quartermaster but would also oversee the overall provisioning of the Armed Forces as it developed. The usually stoic and no-nonsense woman was moved and refused to look at anyone for a good five minutes.

Brandis and Haylen also used the time to discuss what Ronnie and Preston thought they needed in order to be able to respond to the defensive needs of the settlements of the Commonwealth more easily.

There were two main areas that they pointed out which was transportation and communication.

Currently the Minutemen could only broadcast messages via radio broadcast to the deployed units, but there was no way for the people to call for help. A flare gun was only good if the Minutemen see it, and they only received word from settlements via caravans or travellers on the road.

It was a problem that Haylen and Brandis had understood before coming to the Castle but wanted to learn more before they began to work on a solution. Judging by their expressions Alec thought they might already have an idea, but it would come after Hagen was claimed.

The second area of development had to be for a means of fast transportation across the Commonwealth. In time the NCPG would expand and everything was to succeed then they would need to be able to transport materials, resources and troops as quickly as necessary and currently they lacked any means apart from on foot or the back of a slow moving brahmin.

Well that wasn't entirely true, but Alec was not about to reveal to the room that there was a method that he alone had access to, and it was one that he would be using to transport some of the Brotherhoods former resources to Hagen.

The Molecular Relay was not a technology that could be allowed to become common knowledge, he said that as both Director of the Institute but also as General of the Military. If the Brotherhood ever discovered the secrets behind that technology then the Commonwealth would lose the only advantage it had, and it would also make the increasingly vulnerable.

Brandis wondered idly if they had any old maps of the Commonwealth that might show the old pre-war rail network. He recalled seeing them in Washington and on his journey to the Commonwealth and from what he had learnt trains once had crisscrossed most of the USA before the war and it might just be what they needed.

However, Preston then pointed out that they could use the water as a means for transportation indicating to the waterways around the city and then explained how he intended to salvage an old fishing trawler to serve as a way to catch food out in the bay but it could also travel to other settlements if needed.

Both ideas were good ones, but Alec realised that Preston's idea was more workable for now given that the boats already littered the shorelines and just needed to be salvaged. Whereas Brandis's plan would be more long term given than it would require a lot of work to get the tracks dug out or the earth and repaired, let alone restoring a training to a functioning condition.

When the talks eventually ended Alec was exhausted and found himself jealous of dogmeat who was curled up on an old rug in front of the heater Ronnie had installed in his quarters without a care in the world apart from resting after the days exertions.

Stretching his weary body Alec pulled off his outer layers and lay himself under the blankets of his cot and was shocked by how cold the bed was and silently wished for his warm bed in Vault 88 or even the Institute.

Before he had further time to think he felt something jump up onto the bed and felt the cold nose of Dogmeat touch his hand as he lay himself down next to him.

"Well at least I wont freeze to death alone hey boy." Alec snorted and rolled himself over into a more comfortable position all the while thinking what the next day would bring.

**O-FALLOUT-O**

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**O-FALLOUT-O**

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**O-FALLOUT-O**

**Authors Note: **

So here we go the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it and tell me what you think, i love to hear from you guys.

**O-FALLOUT-O**


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